Senior Spotlight: Claudia Bellacosa (12-1)
Olivia Do (11-1)
Photo courtesy of Claudia Bellacosa (12-1)
You do track and play volleyball. Which would you say is your favorite and why?
I guess I like volleyball more, but there’s just something about running in the spring. I have memories of March or April, or even in May, when I’d go to the track in South Philly and get ice cream. Meets in the spring for track are very fun, but I think overall I like volleyball more. I like being a part of the team with all the girls and playing games against Central and stuff.
I heard you lived all over the world. Where did you live? What was that like?
All over the world is just Italy and Rome. I spent most of my childhood there. I was actually born in Philly but I went to elementary and middle school in Rome. But I don’t know who said all over the world, that’s pretty funny.
Is this going to affect where you’ll study for college, or if you’re going to study abroad?
No, I actually want to stay in the US for college. I only applied to schools in the US. I really like Philly and the East Coast. I only applied to colleges near big cities on the East Coast. Since [studying abroad] is so expensive, I’d love to go to a place I've never been before. Maybe Spain, since I've studied Spanish for a while now.
What is your favorite class?
This is a very popular one, but African-American history with Ms. Taylor in 10th grade. Having studied history in Italy, it was only European history. African-American history was so cool since it was stuff we’ve never learned before and it wasn’t whitewashed US history, and I think everyone benefits from learning about African-American history since it's something we don’t ever study or really learn about in other classes.
How has being at Masterman shaped you?
I kind of talk about this in my college essay, but I described Masterman students as “cool nerds” and I say how when I came from Italy to the US, “cool nerds” wasn’t an oxymoron for me anymore—it was like a normal thing at Masterman. There’s also this climate of political activism that I never had in Italy growing up. I think partly because I was little and partly because Philadelphia is just like that. Living in a big city, you really care about the social issues that impact you or the people around you.
What will you not miss about Masterman?
Just that it's a very small school and everyone is always up in everyone’s business. I think everyone can agree on that. Also, the stress culture at Masterman where everyone feels like they have to be doing something. I hope I can escape that once I leave Masterman.
What or who is your biggest motivator in life?
As basic as this is, I think it’s my mother, because she lives in Italy and she works as a gynecologist, and she basically raised me and my four sisters alone while my dad worked in the US. I think that’s very cool. She has this full time job, and she looks after my younger sisters in Italy. My dad is still here, so she’s basically like a single mom.
Favorite Valentine’s Day memory?
My favorite memory is from last year when my friends and I had a “Galentine’s” day and all hung out. And it was one of the last times before Covid that all of us were free and able to hang out, so it’s a very special memory to me.