List of 6 items.

• Campus connections:

  Coming together with their classmates for the grade 8 operetta was one of Madeleine’s favorite parts of Middle School. “I played the Wicked Witch in the operetta, The Wizard of Oz. She was a very big character, so it was interesting to bring out her more nuanced characteristics. I loved being part of the show—everyone had such a blast. Our class really came together and it was a great bonding experience.”

• Favorite spot on campus:

  The library. “I love sitting in the corner of the non-fiction section. It’s really cozy and comfortable. I love to read all genres, but I really like fantasy, non-fiction, and science fiction.”

• Favorite subject:

  History. “It’s really interesting to look at all the little events that have happened and see how they build into big events that end up influencing the world. We recently made a mock propaganda video on the Cuban Missile Crisis. We did a skit and I played an evil communist, which ended up being really fun.”

• On trying new things:

  They tried out for the Future City team and ended up being part of the team that won regionals. “It was an incredibly rewarding experience. I was part of the group that wrote the essay about our city. I didn’t know much at all about it before joining, but I learned a lot about engineering and working on a team.”

• Passion project:

  “The biggest project I’ve done at Ellis so far was my eighth grade history research paper. It was really challenging, but really interesting. Mine was about the ending of apartheid in South Africa; I was interested in the topic after reading Trevor Noah’s memoir. It was a long process that taught me a lot of different skills. It felt really good to finish it.”

• What they’re good at:

  “I love acting. Outside of school, I’m part of Hope Academy of Music and Arts. I do musicals and plays with them and participate in the Pittsburgh Shakespeare competition. It’s so exciting to be on stage. I get to be loud and full of energy and explore different characters.”