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Aleksandr Fedyszyn

Biography

Highlights of Young Scholar Experience: Similar to most Young Scholars, Aleksandr “Alek” Fedyszyn took advantage of many of the summer study and travel programs he was encouraged to participate in.  But one session stands out in his mind.  A few days after completing his freshman year of high school in June of 2008, Alek boarded an airplane and flew to Los Angeles.  The eventual destination was Loyola Marymount University, an historic Jesuit university in the city’s marina district.  He didn’t realize that three weeks later he’d return to the hills of West Virginia a different person.  “The course I took in Ethics at LMU was one of the most life changing experiences I have ever had.  It became three weeks of introspection and I learned so much about who I am and who I want to become in the next chapter of my life.”

Profile:  4.0 out of 4.0.  Aleksandr’s never registered anything less than perfection in the classroom during his four years at Wheeling’s exclusive Linsly School, the oldest private preparatory academy west of the Alleghenies.  Outside of the classroom he fared just as well – as a volunteer with his church and other community organizations as well as on the athletic fields.  He was a mainstay on the Linsly cross-country, track and lacrosse teams, was an officer for West Virginia Boys State, ushered for the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and was a Sunday School volunteer.  One of his teachers praised Alek saying:  “He never gives up . . . on anything.” Well-liked and admired at his school, Alek loves being on stage and is considering a career in theater. 

Inspiration: The hard work and love of his parents is all the inspiration Alek needs to succeed.  At school, Alek points to his calculus teacher, Dennis Hon, as a dedicated leader and someone he’ll always look up to.

Aspiration:  Alek has the “acting bug,” but if theater or the movies aren’t in his future, he is leaning toward a career as a college professor, probably in Philosophy. 

Making a Difference: It seems that wherever Alek hangs his hat, he makes a positive difference.  But if you were to ask him what’s on the top of his highlight reel, it would be a summer play in 2010 during a month-long class in theater at New York University.  Alek played the lead in MacBeth.  “I finally had something that even my usual pessimism wouldn't discredit. I had something I was proud of, something concrete that showed me that all my hard work paid off in the form of this performance. This show really allowed me to believe that I have a reason to be confident in who I am and what I can do if I give enough of an effort.”

Accolades: In addition to Varsity Athletic Letters, in the fall of 2010 Alek was recognized by the College Board as an AP Scholar, was a constant on the Linsly Honor Roll, a member of Honor Society and was the 2009 West Virginia State Oratorical Competition winner.

Interesting Fact:  Alek is extremely comfortable in his own skin. His most important interesting fact he’d like to share with the Internet world is, simply, he’s happy with who he is . . . “looking back on my life I really do not think that I would change a thing.”

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