Tag: Best Brightest

Afifah Zeeshan readily admits she was shy when she started attending Discovery Canyon Campus as a fourth grader; it was not the way she was previously described, and not at all what her personality is today. “As a little girl, I was pretty spontaneous, but I became shy, I think, from moving here from California;…

One of Aidan Gallegos’ favorite memories is leading last year’s Harrison High School seniors in the Panther Grad Fest because it cemented not just what was ahead for him, but also where he’d been.  “It’s where you walk through the different schools (in the district) you’ve gone through,” he explained. “I got to see and hear their memories and knew then that would be happening for me this year. It was…

Brock Oliver was at a crossroads when he started at Pine Creek High School: either let the weight of personal struggle overwhelm him or lean into the support of friends and family.  “It became evident that regardless of what uncontrollable obstacles came into my life,” Oliver said, “there would always be something, or someone of value nearby. I wanted to live…

Even for the Best and Brightest, Tikvah Koppisch is extremely successful. Her academic career – including 15 Advanced Placement Courses – causes school staff to describe Koppisch as “rigorous as she is curious.” A National Merit Scholar, she currently has a cumulative G.P.A. of 4.314.   According to her college counselor at the Vanguard School, over the last 18 months, Tikvah has also read 291 books. Her interests are wide-ranging…

The ambitions of Luke Chung center on changing people’s lives and creating a better world. As he begins college in the fall at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, his progress toward his goals continues the accomplishments forged in elementary and high school.  Chung explains that he will gain skills at West Point…

As a high school senior, Kyle Blasi has a clear focus on his career aspirations:  “Documentary filmmaking is a means to make change,” he observes, “amplify voices, and I hope to make a difference around the world as a traveling filmmaker.”  Blasi’s future plans are currently in a holding pattern.  His dream is to spend a year at the…

A lesson about moving forward from mistakes and challenges from her third-grade teacher is something Annika Lindemann has never forgotten; in fact, it’s been a driving force for her ever since. This helps explain her involvement in school activities while maintaining an impressive academic standing. When asked about what she considers her most challenging and…

For Barton Li, success and satisfaction are two different things, but both have roots in the same source: making a difference. By all accounts, the Pine Creek High School senior radiates success, but he’s quick to note it’s not his goal despite impressive academic, entrepreneurial and personal achievements. “Feeling successful is not my focus. It…