Discus Award Winner
Julie Baldassano
11th Grade, PA
ATTRIBUTES
Academics
I scored a 2400 on my first attempt at the SAT and have a weighted GPA of 4.8 in a very rigorous high school curriculum, currently taking 3 AP classes and 3 Honors classes. I earned a score of 5 on the AP US History exam and a score of 770 on the US History SAT Subject Test. I have earned four State Level Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Sciences first place awards (two perfect scores) and was awarded the Karl F Oerlein PhD Award in Science for my first place in the State Delaware Valley Science Fair. I am a National Latin Exam gold medalist (April 2012) and a winner of multiple Philadelphia Classical Society Awards. I attended the University of Pennsylvania Science Academy for Biomedical Research in 2012 and the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth summer program in 2009-2011.
Community Service
I created the Hats for Homes Charity to benefit homeless dogs at the Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue, where I have volunteered since 2009, and developed the website hatsforhomes.org to publicize the charity’s mission. I have raised over $3,870 by selling hand-knit hats for $10 each and was the Citizen of the Week in the Ambler Gazette. To honor the 1,000+ hours I have dedicated to Hats for Homes, I received the Gold Level President's Volunteer Service Award in 2012. I have directed numerous projects, some benefiting St. John's Hospice and Habitat for Humanity, as the Student Government Community Service Chair. I serve on the PennServe Youth Advisory Board and am a Conservation Steward for the Philadelphia Zoo. I have also been a monthly lector at St. Alphonsus Church since 2010.
Other Achievements
I am an especially active member of my high school and I have become involved in a multitude of activities. I am the Founder and President of the Knitting Club, the Yearbook Club Co-President, and the Astronomy Club President. My other positions include being the Treasurer of Key and Latin Club and the Newspaper Club Head Reporter. As Vice President of the Teen Library Council, I organize our community library’s teen advisory board. My artistic achievements include playing the piano since the age of five and creating Public Service Announcement videos promoting the importance of animal adoption. I was awarded the Seth Carlson Memorial Scholarship for emulating Seth's admirable qualities. Also, I was the Citizen of the Week for my project Hats for Homes: http://tinyurl.com/juliebaldassano
