Analiese is headed to the University of Chicago to study the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Medicine in preparation for medical school. She has been at Morgan Park Academy since preschool, and is our 2015 valedictorian.
[Read more Class of 2015 interviews.]
Q&A
Favorite assignment:
I will always remember my first true research project, the Chicago Metro History Fair in sixth grade. I spent months gathering primary and secondary sources; I had never before used index cards so extensively as I did during that project! I even was able to conduct my first ever interview with two extremely patient researchers at a nearby university. I loved the satisfaction in piecing together information I had tracked down in order to form an answer to the question that I had posed at the beginning of the project.
Favorite MPA tradition:
Academy Day has always been my favorite MPA tradition, because it is a time when every student on campus comes together to celebrate the end of the school year. I feel that I have truly experienced every aspect of this day as I have grown over the years. From being a young preschooler with my precious carnival tickets secured in a Ziploc baggie tied around my neck to being one of the “big kids” running the games, Academy Day is a time that I have looked forward to every year.
Favorite co-curricular activity:
I have enjoyed playing tennis throughout my high school years at MPA. The fast camaraderie which formed among us girls during bus rides and at weekend matches has strongly encouraged me to continue seeking out fun, team-building experiences through intramural sports in college.
Favorite place on campus:
On especially hot days, when it is just too warm to simply be sitting outside on a bench in Jones Bowl, I enjoy pulling a chair over in front of the windows at the top floor of the Alumni Hall library, where I can still have a lovely view of the campus, but with the added benefit of a light breeze.
Favorite MPA memory:
I have always fondly remembered the times in Middle School when my class went on the week-long overnight trip to Nature’s Classroom Institute in Wisconsin. Part of our global experiential learning week, Nature’s Classroom was filled with team-building exercises and real-world applications of our intuitive and problem-solving capabilities. It was a lot like going to camp, but during the school year, and as part of one of the best field trips ever.
How did MPA prepare you for success in college?
Without the opportunities and phenomenal teachers that I have had at MPA these past 15 years to encourage my exploration and development of multiple passions, I would not be as excited as I am now to set foot on a college campus, confident that I will be able to continue to be driven in my studies by what most fascinates me.
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