Natalie Johnson
Social Media Editor
Senior Elizabeth Ochoa has shown exemplary dedication to academic achievement.
Over the course of her four years as a Statesman, Ochoa has been an active student, playing in the Silver Strings, leading cello choir for a time, and being vice president of the Physics Club. Ochoa has managed to balance an involved student life and academics, earning a GPA of above 4.0.
Ochoa was nominated by orchestra teacher Leah Poe and physics teacher Dr. David Schuster. Ochoa was very caught off guard and thankful when she found out.
Unlike many of Ochoa’s peers who come from affluent homes and live in “deep Webster,” as Ochoa described it, her home life is different. Ochoa and her single mother live with her grandfather, and finances can be tight . Ochoa credits her “pressing home situation” for motivating her to achieve success. “I feel the need to work harder to get opportunities like my classmates,” Ochoa said.
To Poe, Ochoa was a perfect candidate. “She is uniquely one of the most dedicated and passionate people I have taught.” Poe said. On Ochoa’s home life which Poe recognizes as different than most Webster student’s, Poe said she “Deals with adversity and having a different home life than most Webster students… she is humble and kind… Growing up with a single parent isn’t easy, especially in Webster.”
As leader of the cello choir, Ochoa worked with Poe in planning rehearsals and planning concerts. Ochoa wrote and arranged an original piece performed by the cello choir.
As Physics Club vice president, Ochoa organized fundraising.
Schuster nominated Ochoa for a similar reason as Poe, “She works harder than anyone else I know,” Schuster said. “She is perpetually cheerful, and under her veneer of hatred for the world she is wonderfully pleasant.”
Schuster believes that Ochoa will be successful in life because of her “intelligence and drive.” Poe also believes that she will succeed, stating “Anything she puts her mind to, she can do.”
Ochoa will attend to University of Minnesota where she plans on receiving her undergraduate degree in astrophysics.
Ochoa has a passion for physics and is intrigued by the mystery of space. Ochoa wants a career that allows her to “be apart of the furthering of mankind’s advancement.”
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