Scholar Spotlight
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Scholar Performance
Tessa was featured with her chamber group on the national radio program 'From the Top'.
Lusia Zaitseva
”I was essentially on my own in a foreign country and I soaked it all up. Initially, I spoke awful French to everyone and anyone and, by the end, my French wasn’t so awful anymore.”
- Alumni of: 2006 College Scholarship Program
- Resides: Chicago, IL
- Hometown: Moscow, Russia
- Age: 24
- Four-year College or University: Columbia University
- Academic/Career Pursuits: Education / Academia, Languages, Literature, Media / Communications / Marketing, Sciences, Writing / Journalism, Science, Writing
- Other Interests: Foreign Languages / International Study, Languages, Performing Arts / Theatre, Tutoring / Mentoring, Visual Arts, Volunteer Work, Writing / Journalism, French Language and Culture, Classical Guitar, Glass Blowing
Biography
At Buck’s Rock summer camp, a camp for the performing and creative arts, Lusia Zaitseva practiced six hours each day – holed up in a shed in the forest, which is a camp tradition. Besides such quiet focus on music, though, Lusia rarely lets her mind retreat to isolated settings. To the contrary, she likes to think big, and as a result almost always moves fast, particularly in school. She once inadvertently convinced a French teacher in Paris she was an advanced student “when I didn’t even know the imperfect tense.” To catch up, she studied extra hard. Once back home, she was able to skip a level and go straight into French IV. Now, in AP French, she reads Voltaire, Maupassant, and Moliere in their original language.
These days, Lusia dreams of being an award-winning screenwriter for a television series. Years ago, she had tried to break into acting but opted instead to finish school. She’s prospered, not only in writing but also in biology. Her biology teacher, Dr. Jeffrey Terwin, said she was the top student both in grades and “in terms of her ability to assimilate information and apply that knowledge in a variety of relevant contexts.” He adds something that is evident from her work habits as well: She is a rare student who, at her age, can “balance an extremely full schedule while maintaining a very positive attitude.”
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