Graduation 2017

Mepham valedictorian makes the most of her time

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Juggling equal passions for science and the arts, Mepham High School’s 2017 valedictorian, Rachel Jozwik, said she made careful use of her years in school, but was still surprised by the honor.

“When I found out that I was the valedictorian, I felt very honored,” Jozwik said. “I always thought it would be nice to make valedictorian [or] salutatorian, so I was really excited when I found out.”

When it comes to studying, Jozwik said she likes to prepare early for tests and as-signments. “If I know I have a test coming up, I start studying a few days before,” she said. “I review vocabulary and go through flashcards on my phone. Nothing too crazy.”

This fall, Jozwik will attend Johns Hopkins University to study biology, with aspi-rations of attending medical school.

Jozwik said that she has always been passionate about science, and that working in Mepham’s Advanced Science Research Program has impacted her the most throughout her time in high school.

“My experiences in ASR were really important because I learned a lot about what I wanted to do in college and what type of career I wanted to pursue,” she said.

It was her work in ASR that earned her the title of semifinalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, one of the most esteemed science competitions for high school students in the country. She was one of 300 students nationwide to receive the recognition. Jozwik was recognized in the competition for her three-year study of a specific gene receptor’s relationship with the stress levels of high school stu-dents.

Students involved in the ASR program are responsible for reaching out to estab-lished scientists to find mentors for their projects. Jozwik and Mepham science re-search teacher Dr. David Kommor said that this was one of the roadblocks that Jozwik faced when she started her research.

“She found her dream mentor,” Kommor said, describing a scientist at the Metro-politan Museum of Art who was studying an enzyme used to restore artwork. After Jozwik pitched her idea, however, the scientist said it would not be a viable pur-suit. Kommor remembered being proud of the way she handled the disappoint-ment. “A lot of students would have dropped the program at that point,” he said.

Jozwik eventually found a mentor, and conducted research on stress and the psy-chological and biological factors that cause it. She found volunteer subjects in two art and two science classes at Mepham, who filled out surveys about their personal stress factors. Alongside two LIU Post professors, she took saliva samples to ex-amine the students’ DNA and test their cortisol levels.

Jozwik found that certain classes caused more stress in students and that older stu-dents were less likely to be stressed. She also found a slight difference in genetic variations that lead to stress, but concluded that this could have been greater if she had a larger sample size.

Jozwik is also a Bausch and Lomb Award recipient for her achievements in sci-ence, and is one of 15,000 students nationwide to be named a National Merit final-ist, based on her score on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, overall aca-demic achievements and a personal essay. Other accolades include being a member of the French, English, Science, Art and National honor societies.

Jozwik has also pursued her love of art while at Mepham. In addition to being an officer of the National Art Honor Society, she is active in Mepham’s Art Service Club, using her talents in drawing and painting to serve the community.

Among the reasons that Jozwik was most attracted to Johns Hopkins was the school’s open curriculum, which will allow her to take art classes while earning her degree, she said. “I have always been really passionate about art,” she said. “The school has a joint program with the Maryland Institute College of Art, so I’m really excited for the opportunity to take some art classes there.”

Joswik advises students to make the most of their high school experience by get-ting involved in activities that interest them. “Take advantage of all the things that Mepham has to offer,” she said. “Whether it’s hanging out in the art center, or us-ing the new broadcast room, just do whatever interests you, and you’ll make the most of your time here.”