York High School - Class of 2024

Matthew Fan

1. GPA: 4.7959
2. High School Extracurricular activities: Track & Field, Cross country, President of National Art Honors Society, Vice president of Tri-M, Concertmaster for the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra
3. Community Involvement: Volunteered at Hamilton Assisted Living center regularly by performing songs, performed in numerous music outreach ministries and programs, accompanied school plays and choir performances, and helped raise funds for scholarships supporting young musicians.
4. College attending: University of Richmond as a Richmond Scholar
5. Studying/Major: Business Management/Entrepreneurship
6. Tell us about a person or experience that has had a significant impact in your life? My mom has had a significant impact on my life because of her unwavering support and encouragement. She has helped me through some of the hardest times in my life and I am so thankful for everything that she has done for me. I would not be where I am today without her.
7. If you could give one piece of advice to rising high school students, what would it be? I highly recommend rising high schoolers to spend their time wisely and try to remain as organized as possible. As a professional procrastinator, rushing to finish assignments the day they are due is not optimal. Make sure you stay on top of all your work, as the workload will start to build up and overwhelm you if you keep pushing it off.
8. What was your favorite class you've taken in high school and why? My favorite class I have taken in high school is AP Calculus BC. While this class was quite challenging, I really enjoyed the environment and people around me. I felt like I was always learning something new and now feel really prepared for taking any future math classes at this level.
9. What school tradition or experience will you miss the most? The tradition I will miss the most is the senior skit. I love seeing how the students imitate teachers and sometimes recreating that teacher's unique quirk perfectly. It is one of the funniest traditions at our school, and I am sad I will not be able to witness it next year.
10. What is your most memorable experience or highlight from your high school years? One of my most memorable experiences was my first time going to States for track in the 4x4 relay during the indoor season. I was so excited because I had always wanted to qualify for states since I started track and was never able to. We all ran hard the day of the race, and I will always remember the thrill of the trip and the amazing friends I made along the way.

Lana Portanova

1. GPA: 4.7551
2. High School Extracurricular activities: York High School's Drama Department, Former Girls' Varsity Basketball Player, Tutoring Chair in the Thomas Nelson Chapter of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society), President of the YHS Chapter of Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (Spanish Honor Society), National English Honor Society, International Thespian Society
3. Community Involvement: Logistics Internship with USfalcon as a Federal Support Service Contractor, Mazda Motorsport Sponsored Amateur Autocross Driver with the SCCA, Promotional/Media Chair with the Virginia Motor Sport Club
4. College attending: Carnegie Mellon University
5. Studying/Major: Mechanical Engineering
6. Were there any teachers or mentors who played a significant role in shaping your academic journey? If so, how? As a proud and independent learner, connecting with my instructors has often been challenging. However, I have been fortunate to have supportive academic mentors along the way. Being part of the IB programme facilitated collaboration with my teachers, particularly when working on IB essays and projects. My IB Mathematics teacher, Mrs. Emily Blackburn, was my mentor for both the IB Math IA and the IB Extended Essay. She was phenomenal to work with, and I will never forget her wisdom and support, both as a teacher and an academic mentor.
7. What was the most useful advice you have received from someone about high school? The best advice I received was to take advantage of every aspect of high school, both socially and academically. Socially, high school offers a unique opportunity with free time and a wide variety of extracurriculars. While some students choose to fill their time with other commitments, it's important to make choices that reflect their own interests and goals. Academically, high school is free, and you are required to be there anyway, so making the most of the classes available can help you explore your interests and potentially save money if college is in your future. Overall, taking advantage of the time I had in high school helped me determine what I wanted to study in college and the extracurricular activities and friends I wanted to prioritize.
8. What's one class you wish had been offered or you had been able to take in high school? I wish my school had offered more practical learning classes. Although we were required to complete an economics class, it did not cover essential life skills like paying taxes, taking out loans, or managing the financial aspects of college. A class dedicated to applying for scholarships, colleges, and student loans would have been immensely helpful, especially as an upperclassman.
9. If you could create one new rule (or change a rule) at your high school, what would it be and why? If I could alter one rule, it would be that student attendance in class was only required if a student did not have an A or B in class. While it is federally mandated that we attend school, York High has multiple resources on its premises (Learning commons, sports fields, courtyard) that could be utilized by students instead of sitting for redundant lectures and work periods.
10. Describe your high school experience in one word. Enlightening