Yakov Pechersky
“I am grateful that my life is full of miraculous events and amazing transformations. Growing up during an epochal time in Russia, being the only man in the house, immigration, surviving a terrible accident, becoming a Young Scholar, exploring biomedicine, languages, and foreign countries are all life defining experiences for me.”
- Program: 2009 College Scholarship Recipient
- Resides: Briarwood, NY
- Hometown: Leningrad, Russia
- Age: 20
- Four-year College or University: Harvard University
- Academic/Career Pursuits: Arts / Music / Performance, Computing / IT, Education / Academia, Engineering, Health Care, Languages, Literature, Mathematics, Medical Practitioner, Philosophy, Religion, Sciences, Social Science / Anthropology, Biophysics, Biochemistry/Biology Research
- Other Interests: Computing / IT, Foreign Languages / International Study, Health Care, Honor Society, Languages, Literature, Mathematics, Philosophy, Religion, Sciences, Sports, Student Government, Tutoring / Mentoring, Volunteer Work, Music, Sports (Soccer, Roller Hockey), Reading, Jewish/Yiddish Heritage and Folk Music
Biography
Highlights of Young Scholar Experience: It wasn’t until Yakov attended his first Young Scholars event with his peers that he truly understood what it meant to be part of this select group of teenagers. In addition to music lessons with various world-renowned instructors, Yakov has taken math classes and conducted genomics research at New York University, attended an international festival of Yiddish/Jewish Culture, and took summer courses at both Yale and Brown. His international Young Scholar activities involved participation in study abroad programs at Oxford and Vilnius, Lithuania. As Yakov said, “with the help of the Foundation I was able to pursue my passions.”
Profile: Yakov and his mother live in the Borough of Queens, a short walk from the F Train subway stop, the vehicle that brings him to the music lessons he loves. Music is a big part of Yakov’s life, but so are science, sports, his community, and his Jewish heritage. Yakov arrived in the United States when he was seven. He’s embraced the culture and history of New York City and all that it has to offer. He’s a caring young man who is not afraid of challenges.
Inspiration: It has been Yakov’s great honor and privilege to study Klezmer music under Jeff Warschauer, an internationally renowned mandolinist, guitarist, Yiddish singer and teacher. Klezmer is a traditional form of Jewish folk music.
Aspiration: Yakov will likely pursue a career in biological research, but music, in some way, shape or form, will also be a part of his life.
Making a Difference: He and another Young Scholar and their mentors published scientific research findings which were presented at the annual medical conference of the Society for Complexity in Acute Illness. For his efforts Yakov won the Society’s Young Investigator Award for Outstanding Research.
Accolades: In school, Yakov was elected president of his school’s Jewish Student Union and Hebrew Honor Society and helped to organize Diversity Week. He also was named a QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship recipient, a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, an AP Scholar, and a member of the National Honor Society.
Other Scholars Like Yakov
Rainjade Chung
College Scholar
Harvard University
Jarrod Brown
Graduate Scholar
University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Whitney Johnston
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
New York University
Menachem Sahler
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute