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 mother is Angela, my father is David Sr., my older sister is Caitlyn and my older brother is David Jr. We have two dogs, Daisy and Mellie.

Q. What is your favorite subject? Why?

A. I have a passion for journalism. To me, journalism is both an outlet to express myself and to give others a voice. I have always enjoyed writing, but with journalism, I feel as if I am contributing to my community with each word. In journalism, I’m being taught by some of the best teachers I’ve ever had and I’m surrounded by an amazing group of classmates.

Q. Have you received any special awards or recognition?

A. In 2024, my classmate and I jointly won fourth place in the National Student Press Association Reporting News Competition. Additionally, I won the Student Keystone Media Award Winners State Competition second place award for ongoing news coverage. I won second place for editorial writing for the Pennsylvania Press Club Competition. For the Pennsylvania Student Press Association State Competition, I won fifth place for editorial writing. Additionally, I have been granted a first place award in both the 2023 and 2024 Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science State Competitions for a science fair project and a second place award in the 2025 Regionals competition. In March, I was selected as “Girl of the Month” for the journalism and English departments by the Woman’s Club of Emmaus in their annual Women’s History Month Ceremony.

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

A. At school, I am a managing editor of The Stinger, our school newspaper, vice president of the Red Cross Club, secretary of Model UN, a member of National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society, a member of Hornet Ambassadors and Student Poll Workers. Outside of school, I enjoy volunteering in the Allentown School District, where my mother works. I also work part-time at Outback Steakhouse.

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

A. Something I’ve struggled a lot with is staying motivated while having a very busy schedule. When I have a million things to do, I often find myself asking “Is it worth it?” It’s hard to see the payoff ahead of time, but once I take a step back and see how far I’ve come, I know that whatever I have to get through is just one more step in the right direction.

Q. What is your next goal after high school?

A. Following graduation, I will be attending Boston University with the goal of pursuing a degree in journalism.

Q. If you could spend an evening conversing with an historically significant person, whom would you choose? Why?

A. I would jump at the chance to spend an evening with Nellie Bly. She was a groundbreaking investigative journalist, going undercover in an 1887 mental institution in order to uncover unjust conditions. For a story, she broke the world record (at that time) for traveling around the world in 80 days. During her coverage of the Eastern Front during World War I, she was arrested under suspicion of being a spy. She advocated for women’s rights. She was an inventor. In short, she packed a million life times into one, and left an indelible mark on the world.

Q. For what would you like to be remembered?

A. I hope people remember me as a compassionate person. I always want to be seen as someone that others can come to with something difficult. The people who have had the greatest impact on me have been the ones who have always been there, willing to have an open and honest conversation. I hope to one day be that person for someone else, and for others to remember me that way.

Q. Do you have any advice for your peers?

A. Find your niche in the school. Emmaus is a big school and it can be easy to feel swept away. I felt like I was taking a risk when I enrolled in journalism, since I had no friends in that class. Now, it’s not only my favorite class, but it’s also where I’ve found a community of truly amazing people.