Alana Heifetz

Valedictorian Alana Heifetz

Age: 17 GPA: 4.575

 

SAT scores: Math: 800, Reading: 700, and Writing: 750

College: University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va.

Intended major: Business with a minor in chemistry

Career goals: Financial planning

What's your strategy for academic success? I always take the hardest classes possible because I enjoy the challenge. I took all the Advanced Placement and honors classes available even if they were not in my favorite subjects. Although they were a lot of work, they were definitely worth it in the end because I learned so much from each of them.

What awards/honors are you proud of receiving? I was very proud that our Student Council placed second in the state for the past several years. It was an amazing feeling to be able to say that I was able to play a part in that accomplishment.

What were/are you involved in at school and in the community? I was the public relations officer for Student Council, features editor of the Nutshell (the school paper), secretary of the Spanish Honor Society and I founded a chemistry tutoring service within the school. Outside of school, my biggest contribution comes each Christmas season when I volunteer at the mall to wrap gifts with all proceeds going to cancer research. I volunteer about 100 hours each year and helped the organization to raise over $30,000 for charity.

Kristen Hum

Who was your favorite teacher and why? I cannot credit one teacher as my favorite because so many have helped me in different ways. My Spanish teacher and Student Council adviser, Senora Sweeney, taught me to be more responsible, outgoing and to understand Spanish, a nearly impossible feat. Ms. Chambliss, my Advanced Placement English language teacher, encouraged me to not be afraid to take risks and to appreciate writing more. Ms. Jacko, my Advanced Placement English literature teacher, taught me to take time and enjoy life and to not stress about the small stuff. These three teachers definitely had the greatest impact on me during my high school career.

What are your favorite pastimes? I love to play tennis, swim, read, hang out with friends and watch "House."

What is your favorite book and how does it relate to your life? My favorite book is a tie between "1984" and the "Grapes of Wrath." While both novels are quite depressing, they are fascinating and show different aspects of life that I will, hopefully, never deal with.

What will you miss most about your high school years? I will definitely miss the closeness that came with being in such a small school. I can honestly say I knew almost the entire graduating class, which is uncommon in larger schools. At Virginia next year, I'll be in a school with over 15,000 students compared to Allentown's 1,000. Being able to talk one-on-one with teachers, getting involved in many clubs and being close to most of my classmates are definitely things I will miss when at college.

What are your hopes for this world in the future? My hopes are that people will learn to be more respectful and friendly to others. There is so much hate in this world, and it is so unfortunate. If people could learn to be more kind and courteous, the world would be a much nicer place. We also spend too much time worrying about the petty things in life that we do not stop and appreciate what we have and those we love.

Salutatorian Kristen Hum

Age: 17 GPA: 4.35

 

SAT scores: Math: 780, Reading: 630, and Writing: 670

College: Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.

Intended major: Engineering

Career goals: To be happy in whatever I do.

What's your strategy for academic success? Always strive to do your best and put your heart into everything that you do.

What awards/honors are you proud of receiving? Salutatorian, 2008 Female Scholar-Athlete Award, 2008 MVP for lacrosse, 2008 second team all-CVC for lacrosse, Girl Scouts Bronze and Silver awards

What were/are you involved in at school and in the community? Spanish Honor Society, National Honor Society, EnglishHonor Society, Varsity Lacrosse, Varsity Winter Track, Varsity Soccer, Student Council and Girl Scouts

Who was your favorite teacher and why? I cannot narrow it down to one so I am going to have to say Señora Sweeney and Mr. Peddie. They were always there to support me. I could always turn to them whenever I needed to talk to somebody.

What are your favorite pastimes? Lacrosse, snowboarding and traveling

What is your favorite book and how does it relate to your life? "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom is one of my favorite books. It makes you realize that everything you do has an effect on another person's life. One person can and does make a difference.

What will you miss most about your high school years? I will definitely miss my friends the most. I love them all so much and I don't know what I am going to do without them next year.

What are your hopes for this world in the future? Solve the problem of world hunger and become less oil dependent (use alternative sources of energy).