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{
1995 Quest Scholars
@ Stanford
Student Profiles
| Anderson,
Brian |
Chavez,
Heather |
Cheung,
Renee |
Ferrara,
Kai |
| Fortner,
Cameron |
Gavrieli,
Dana |
Gordley,
Jessica |
Larchev,
Gregory |
| Lee,
Marini |
Lindo,
Natasha |
Lu,
Nhan |
Reygers,
Tamarah |
| Rowland,
Bliss |
Valverde,
Michael |
Vang,
Ying |
Westwood,
Emily |
| Whitnah,
Laurel |
Wilczeski,
Chris |
Williams,
Luther |
Yang,
Choua Cheng |
|
| Brian Anderson |
 |
Hometown: Boulder Creek
School: Bellarmine College Preparatory Professional Aspirations:
Medicine
|
|
Medicine combines Brian's love of people with
his love of nature. He enjoys
interacting with other cultures as well as with nature on
an intimate level. This desire
to learn and sustain is manifested in Brian's concern for
the environment as well. Brian, an individual of Native American
descent, views environmental dilemmas as issues of justice.
He is concerned that crucial species are being destroyed due
to the short-term self-interest of powerful lobbyists and
national governments. Brian argues for environmental preservation
with the same maturity and intelligence he displays on his
high school debate team, an activity at which he excels. Moreover,
Brian supports his beliefs through hands-on public service,
for he is both active in religious activities and volunteers
at a local food bank. For Brian, service is not merely a phrase
to be repeated, but action to be taken. It is this laudable
ethic he brings to the SYESP. Brian is now a junior at Harvard
University.
|
|
| Heather Chavez |
 |
Hometown: Woodlake
School: Golden West High School
Professional Aspirations:
Engineering, Medicine
|
| 'Participants like Heather
are our future,' says one of Heather's instructors. Wherever
she goes, Heather seems to leave a positive imprint on the people
around her. To all of her classes and activities, Heather applies
her precise, systematic manner. Heather fully appreciates the
stable upbringing her parents have provided her; she strives
to give hope to those from less fortunate circumstances . She
is active in the community, volunteering with inner city elementary
children and volunteering her time to her church. Heather is
passionate not only about her community, but also about her
studies as well. She displays strong interests in history as
well as math and the sciences that will prepare her for a career
in engineering or medicine, her chosen fields. Heather is currently
a junior at University of California, Davis. |
|
| Renee Cheung |
 |
Hometown: San Bruno
School: Mills High School
Professional Aspirations: Chemistry
|
| Although Renee has only
lived in the United States for four years, she has already established
herself here with a confidence that takes most a lifetime to
accomplish. Since her parents frequently stay in Hong Kong for
economic and health reasons, she has learned to be independent
through living by herself. Taking care of herself has taught
Renee how to confront obstacles with prudence and maturity.
Renee has a logical, quick mind and excels at mathematics and
chemistry. She hopes to apply her chemistry knowledge to help
solve and prevent environmental problems. Renee is a talented
piano player, playing for twelve years. She uses piano both
to relieve her from emotional stress and to help her to form
closer bonds with friends that she shares her music with. Renee
also enjoys singing, writing, meditating, listening to jazz,
swimming, and hiking. Renee returned to SYESP as a participant
in 1996 and has become a staff member since 1998. |
|
| Kai Ferrara |
 |
Hometown: Mendocino
School: Mendocino Community
Professional Aspirations:
Environmental Law, Psychology
|
| Growing up in a remote
ex-mining town in northern California has left an indelible
imprint on Kai's life. His wilderness surroundings inculcated
an awe-struck attachment to the natural world, and this fascination
spurred his interest in science. His environment soon became
an integral component of his studies, and his way of life. At
the young elementary school age, he had already spearheaded
projects on overpopulation, atmospheric complications, and deforestation.
Moreover, Kai had volunteered for projects on the California
Salmon River long before environmentalism hit the mainstream.
Kai's personality seems to reflect the tranquility of nature
he admires, for he possesses a sensitivity uncommon for Participants
his age. His love of the wilderness, coupled with his fervent
desire to overcome economic obstacles and "change things," has
led him to aspire to a career in environmental law. In addition
to law, Kai in intrigued by the way in which the human brain
responds to stimuli, and is anxious to explore related fields
like Psychology. |
|
| Cameron Fortner
|
 |
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| |
|
| Dona Gavrieli |
 |
Hometown: Walnut Creek
School: Northgate High School
Professional Aspirations:
Environmental Law, Psychology
|
Despite moving from Israel
a little more than a year ago, Dana has quickly mastered an
entirely foreign language - English - and has amassed impressive
academic credentials. She tackles not only her class work, she
consistently extends herself into her community, tutoring her
fellow Participants and volunteering at a local nursing home.
What immediately stands out about Dana is the amazing pace at
which she has not only learned but excelled in verbal expression.
She channels her ability into her high school debate team, and
she hopes to use her skills in her future career, possibly as
an environmental attorney. In particular, Dana plans to address
the issues of pollution, hazardous waste, the greenhouse effect,
and lead poisoning She has already furthered her goals by ambitiously
enrolling in criminal law and Psychology classes at a local
community college. In addition to her school and volunteer work,
Dana spends her free time on photography, sports, and camping.
Dana has had to overcome economic constraints and family instability,
but she has done so with characteristic zeal and mental strength.
These traits are sure to serve her well in whatever future path
she takes.
Dana is currently working towards her MBA at the Stanford Graduate
School of Business. |
|
| Jessica Gordley
|
 |
Hometown: Santa Rosa
School: Montgomery High School
Professional Aspirations:
Law, Engineering
|
| Jessica's commitment
to environmental science began as early as elementary school,
when she and a group of other Participants, implemented a recycling
program at her school. She is a student whose efforts will make
a difference in environmental behavior in her community. She
believes strongly in the importance of individual responsibility,
stressing that the smallest efforts can make a difference. Professionally,
Jessica is considering two major areas: Engineering and Law.
Jessica grew up under circumstances that are hard to believe,
given her current level of achievement and maturity. Jessica
lived in an alcoholic/addicted single parent family, and was
homeless for two years. Jessica has used this gritty experience
as an opportunity for growth, and from it she has developed
a commitment to helping people in similar situations and an
unflinching drive to make something of herself. Participating
in the Stanford Youth Environmental Science Program means a
great deal to Jessica. "The people that grew up with me - like
me - most of them aren't doing much with their lives," Jessica
said upon hearing that SYESP accepted her for the 1995 session.
She is profoundly grateful that she has been able to make the
most of her experiences and grow into a different person because
of them. "I've been a dreamer all my life," she says. This dreamer
has the potential to transform her hopes into reality. |
|
| Gregory Larchev
|
 |
Hometown: Walnut Creek
School: Los Lomas High School
Professional Aspirations:
Chemistry or Physics
|
| Gregory's family emigrated
to the United States from Russia one year ago, and Gregory's
accomplishments in that time are incredible. Although he is
still refining his English, he possesses excellent communication
skills; his critical thinking power is apparent regardless of
what language he speaks. In Russia, Gregory invested a good
deal of time in independent studies on environmental science,
and he brought that passion for the environment with him to
America. He has completed extensive research on the negative
effects of hydroelectric power stations and the depletion of
the ozone layer. Gregory approaches everything as if it were
a research project, including his schoolwork, activities, hobbies
and his participation in the SYESP. This determination and thoroughness
are the traits that make him stand out from his peers. |
|
| Marini Lee
|
 |
Hometown: Richmond
School: Salesian High School
Professional Aspirations:
Medicine - Pediatrics
|
| Marini is an impassioned
advocate for justice, and this extends well into the environmental
field. Marini expresses concern about air pollution and deforestation,
and she approaches these issues with an incisive, inquisitive
mind. Just as importantly, her deep-rooted spirituality drives
her to question the ethics of environmental degradation and
the implications for children's futures. Marini's spirituality
allows her to link the natural world to individual behavior.
At the same time, it inspires her to help others and to push
her beyond her own economic constraints. Marini dreams of becoming
a doctor, as she seeks to heal others. She is also fascinated
by science, since she is the type of enthusiastic student who
never stops asking "why?". For this reason, she is sure to produce
true change in whatever endeavor she undertakes. |
|
| Natasha Lindo |
 |
Hometown: Chico
|
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| Nhan Lu |
 |
Hometown: Oakland
School: Oakland High School
Professional Aspirations:
Environmental Engineering
|
| Nhan has lived in the
United States for seven years, but she has learned a great deal
in that time. She has great respect for her parents, and wants
to succeed in school to prove to them that she appreciates their
sacrifices. Nhan's interest in the environment is fairly new,
but strong. She has always been interested in engineering and
intends to pursue a degree in environmental engineering. Nhan
shows considerable commitment to her community; she offers her
free time to volunteer in a hospital and works with a local
environmental action group. Nhan is a conscientious, disciplined
and responsible student who makes the best of all opportunities.
|
|
| Tamarah Reygers
|
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Hometown: Citrus Heights
School: San Juan High School
Professional Aspirations:
Medicine - Thoracic surgery
|
| Tamarah describes herself
as determined, but this is an understatement. She approaches
life with responsibility, empathy and ambition. This seventeen-year-old
combination of Dutch, Indonesian, Native American and African-American
heritage approaches her studies with remarkable discipline.
Her professional interests are as varied as her background;
she wants to explore marine biology, genetics, pathology and
research. Empathetic to children from low income backgrounds,
she yearns to teach young people that they are special and can
achieve. In each of her activities, Tamarah applies the same
determination to excel. She currently coaches bowling and intends
to improve her game enough to play at college level. She also
volunteers at a local hospital and as a Tae Kwon Do instructor.
Tamarah describes herself as having "an attitude like a burst
of sunshine," and, like the sun, her temperament is not only
bright, but also promising. |
|
| Bliss Rowland |
 |
Hometown: Capitola
School: Soquel High School
Professional Aspirations:
Chemistry, Biology, Social Sciences, Environmental Science
|
| Bliss is an analytical,
inquisitive student of science. Intrigued by the natural world
around her, especially the chemical elements that compose the
environment, she imbues her quantitative skills with a sense
of social responsibility. The systematic destruction of our
natural resources concerns Bliss the most, as well as the amount
of waste that occurs globally. Bliss is a forward-thinking individual,
for she is both passionate about the future of the environment
and pragmatic in devising solutions. Bliss hopes to address
these issues by refining her scientific skills, perhaps leading
to a career as a chemist or biologist. She appreciates the beauty
of nature, and enjoys her time outdoors as much as her time
in the lab. Bliss's concern for and interest in the environment
is an extension of her maturity as an individual. Despite an
often unstable home life and economic constraints, she has persevered
in her pursuit of academic excellence and has maximized every
opportunity presented to her. She possesses the rare ability
to contextualize events within the "big picture." She maintains
that while the final product of her actions partly motivates
her, it is the journey to her goal that she values the most.
This valuable perspective will no doubt benefit her peers and
the SYESP. |
|
| Michael Valverde
|
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Hometown: Oceano
School: Arroyo Grande
Professional Aspirations: Author
|
| A critical thinker, Michael
questions every assumption he encounters with unparalleled wit.
This bright young man feels that much of his character is shaped
by his favorite authors--Jack Kerouac, Piers Anthony, and Ernest
Hemingway--whose literature he reads with zeal. His passion
for literature drives him towards his aspiration of becoming
an author, through which he can influence others as he has been
influenced. Michael believes that people realize the importance
of nature through personal experience, be it direct contact
with nature or appreciation through literature, film, or art.
Encounters with nature, he believes, instill awe in humans and
force them to see the divinity of life and the importance of
their own inspirations. Michael participated in SYESP again
in 1996 as a student and became a staff member in 1998. |
|
| Ying Vang |
 |
Hometown: Fresno
School: Fresno High School
Professional Aspirations:
Law, Economics, Social Sciences
|
| Although Ying has lived
in the United States for only three years, he has taken full
advantage of the academic and social opportunities offered to
him here. As a student at Fresno High School, he has enrolled
and excelled in the most rigorous curriculum available, including
many honors classes. A native of Laos, Ying has achieved verbal
and written fluency in Hmong, English, Chinese, Thai and Lao;
and he shows strong commitment to improving his English. Despite
being an immigrant, he displays fervent pride in his new country
and yearns to understand and support democracy and freedom.
Ying's family left Laos in 1979 for Thailand, where they lived
until 1992. Living in a refugee camp while in Thailand as well
relocating to America are experiences which have profoundly
changed Ying's perspective on life. He expects to become an
American citizen within two years and intends to earn his new
status by serving his community. Ying's diverse professional
interests, including law, economics and social sciences, reflect
his curious intellect and desire to excel in many fields. He
approaches environmental science with the drive he applies to
all of his scholastic challenges, thoroughly exploring and then
creatively looking for ways to improve the environmental issues
affecting our society. |
|
| Emily Westwood |
 |
Hometown: Laytonville
School: Laytonville High School
Professional Aspirations:
Environmental Science, Biology, Marine Biology, Foreign Languages
|
| Emily has grown up in
a rural town in Mendocino County, where she lives in a house
completely powered with solar energy. The five solar panels
on her rooftop provide for her family's electricity and water
needs in a way quite unfamiliar to most urban dwellers, who
take electric power lines for granted. The environmental problems
of rural northern California differ from urban ones; her community
faces the problems of logging and replanting trees, as well
as the degradation caused by the increasing population in the
area, issues of which she is well-aware. She plans to take advantage
of SYESP's and Stanford's resources which she does not have,
such as libraries, well-equipped labs, and the advantages of
living in a large community of people in one house. She hopes
to spread awareness about environmental problems, and she brings
to SYESP an uncommon perspective on land and energy use. Emily
has been working for environmental change since she was very
young, and has been encouraged and motivated by the changes
she has noticed. She hopes to help stop destruction of the environment
and help repair the damage that has already been done. |
|
| Laurel Whitnah |
 |
Hometown: San Carlos
School: Carlmont High School
Professional Aspirations:
Environmental Sciences
|
| A high-achieving Hispanic
Carlmont High School student, Laurel leads organizations in
her school and community, working on everything from beach clean-ups
and letter writing campaigns to travelling to Denmark for an
international Girl Scouts event. She puts tremendous effort
into all of the responsibilities she takes on and communicates
effectively with adults and peers in order to achieve her goals.
As she has proven by her tireless commitment to scholastic and
extracurricular activities, Laurel possesses maturity and independence
rarely found in Participants her age. She profoundly understands
many of the environmental issues facing her community, and is
committed to alleviating them. Laurel plans a career in which
she can satisfy her passions, math and science while incorporating
her environmental interests. |
|
| Chris Wilczeski
|
 |
Hometown: Los Gatos
School: Upper Lake High School
Professional Aspirations:
Medicine/Cardiovascular Surgery
|
| Chris exhibits the remarkable
ambition that the Stanford Youth Environmental Program encourages
and rewards in young people. Chris participated in the program
for the first time (the 1995 session is his second year) when
he had only just completed his freshman year in high school.
Chris is fond of the phrase: "Knowing is half the battle," but
he never stops halfway. Chris constantly expands his knowledge
by seeking practical applications of his ideas. For example,
Chris .has lived near a lake for the past five years, and he
has taken full advantage of the classroom it offers, teaching
himself about freshwater ecology and the history of the lake.
At school also, Chris seeks out educational opportunities beyond
his teacher's expectations. Last year, he excelled in a computer
programming course, which he took in his free time, in addition
to his regular course load. Chris also tutors middle school
children daily. Since he was a young child, Chris has pushed
himself to succeed and achieve a high-powered professional career,
despite his difficult home situation. Chris is well on his way
to achieving this dream. |
|
| Luther Williams
|
 |
Hometown: Oakland
School: Berkeley High School
Professional Aspirations:
Law, Economics, Psychology
|
| Luther is an incisive
thinker and proponent of active social change. The urban Berkeley
setting in which he lives gives him a keen appreciation of civil
rights, crime issues, economic inequality, and the all-pervasive
environmental hazards his town faces. His strong science background
(with schoolwork full of Advanced Placement courses), coupled
with extraordinarily lucid communication skills, makes him a
natural leader in his community. His African-American heritage
reminds him of the need for minority role models, and strives
to be one himself. He has brought people together through such
activities as the African-American Participants Association,
he has served as vice-president of his class, and president
of the California Scholarship Federation. Luther uses his financial
disadvantage as a source of motivation, and with this level
of determination he is sure to make a difference. |
|
| Choua Cheng Yang |
 |
Hometown: Fresno
School: Fresno High School
Professional Aspirations:
Biochemistry, Pharmaceuticals, Mechanical Engineering
|
| Choua is the type of
student who sets impossibly high standards for himself, and
then goes on to meet them. He tackles both academics and athletics
with characteristic focus and inner strength. He ranks at the
top of his high school class, but his accomplishments only begin
there. Despite having a blood-clotting disorder, Choua is incredibly
active. He earned a black belt in karate, and is highly advanced
in Kung Fu. He tutors his peers in chemistry and has taken leadership
roles in environmental causes. Choua makes a point to be informed
about environmental issues in his community, and he devotes
considerable time to brainstorming solutions. Choua is action-oriented,
but this is balanced out by his mature philosophical insights.
Meditation is important to him, and this hints at his thoughtful
nature. Choua has the ability to be both vocal and reflective,
and it is this combination of qualities that will serve him
well in whatever task he undertakes. |
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} |
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