Q. In what grade are you currently enrolled?

A. I am currently a senior at Emmaus High School.

Q. Please provide the first names of your family members: parents, siblings and pets.

A. My family consists of my mother, Lydia, my father, David and my two older sisters, Lily and Mia.

Q. What is your favorite subject? Why?

A. My favorite subject is history because I enjoy learning about the past, which is important as it helps us understand the present and in theory can assist in preventing us from making the same mistakes in the future. I also enjoy my science classes as I am interested in the workings of the natural world.

Q. Have you received any special awards or recognition?

A. I have participated in the National History Day Competition for five years and have moved on to the PA State competition three times, the most recent being last year where I received third place for Individual Exhibit. I also have earned Principal’s Honor Roll and am currently in National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society and the Spanish Language Honor Society.

Q. Are you involved in any extracurricular activities? How has being involved in these organizations impacted your high school experience?

A. I am a violinist in the orchestra and have been involved in the orchestra since fourth grade. I am also part of the National History Day Club, in which I serve as treasurer. I also participate in the National Parks Club where I am the “Game Warden.” I also enjoy playing golf recreationally and participating in community service activities through the various honor societies at school.

Q. What do you consider your biggest challenge to date?

A. Having to transition from in-person class, to virtual school, back to in-person instruction due to COVID-19 has been extremely challenging for me. I basically left school three-quarters of the way through freshman year and didn’t return to the EHS building until junior year, since I opted to be full-time virtual in 10th grade. I felt like I missed out on a lot of social activities, which I did end up regretting. After the long absence, I felt like a freshman all over again. But I was determined to make the most out of my time during 11th and 12th grade and I believe that I’ve been successful in that goal.

Q. What is your next goal after high school?

A. I plan on attending college and majoring in history and environmental science. Since I definitely enjoy learning about and discussing these subjects, I am considering being a teacher so that I can pass my enthusiasm for these topics to others.

Q. Whom do you admire? Why?

A. I admire Sir Ernest Shackleton whom I researched for a History Day project freshman year. He was an explorer and one of the most prominent figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. I admire him for his remarkable leadership and his unwavering commitment to his crew under the most desperate of circumstances. When his ship, the Endurance, became trapped in ice and had to be abandoned, Shackleton’s perseverance and tenacity remarkably saved the lives of every single crew member. His qualities of leadership under pressure and keeping faith in the face of the harshest conditions on Earth are worthy of admiration.

Q. For what would you like to be remembered?

A. I would like to simply be remembered as a nice guy who can be relied upon when needed. I don’t kid myself into thinking that I have achieved any great feat while in high school, though I can definitely say that I will look back on my time at EHS happily knowing that I was a good student and a good friend.

Q. Do you have any advice for your peers?

A. Take the classes and join the clubs that you find interesting, don’t sweat having to take every last AP class offered or join every last activity you think would look best on a college/job application. You will look best when people (your potential boss, the college admissions counselor, the recruiter) see you are happy and well-adjusted and pursued what you were genuinely passionate about rather than followed the herd and took what you felt pressured into.