Senior Spotlight: Chelse Owate (12-3)

What’s your favorite genre of literature?

Right now, science fiction, which is very surprising. I think it’s really cool when science fiction is in movies, but with books it’s different. Right now I’m reading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with Ink Drinkers, and Eyes of Fire with Read & Greet. Those are both science fiction.

Do you want to study science?

Yeah, I’m planning on it. At least the way I’ve applied to colleges now is for a biochemistry major. More specifically, I would want to do something related to genetics, however I can’t really get a genetics major so I’m looking at molecular biology. I’m drawn to biochemistry because I think it’s a little bit more fun. I don’t know why. I feel like it’s a little more interesting when you add that chemistry aspect. For the Science Olympiad, we do a lot of competition and unfortunately Pennsylvania is apparently a super competitive state. It’s not that it’s impossible to win, but it’s a really hard place.

Who is your favorite book character?

My favorite character is the voice of reason. There’s a lot of crazy stuff in science fiction books and there’s always an unrealistic aspect. But I love when a character can step back from a situation and say, “ok, you said that there’s a dragon that we have to fight, why does this dragon also talk, you know?” I also like characters that feel real, have obligations, are loyal to their values, and are susceptible to change. I really hate passive characters, especially when female characters are written in passive situations and they don’t ever have an opinion. It’s really frustrating to read books like that. Recently, I’ve watched more than I've read and my favorite is the main character’s friend, Rio, from Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai. She has a physics club and people go to her to talk about what crazy event has happened. It’s also kind of sci-fi, that’s funny. She’ll spit out something very cohesive and intelligent and is not afraid to call out the other characters’ stupidity. She’s reliable as a character, but she has flaws and is slightly insecure so I like that about her. Arthur from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has a lot of these attributes too.

What is your favorite class you've taken?

The summer after ninth grade, I was in a program in the Math Corps at Drexel. I had a teacher named Ms. Charlene. She was so nice. I remember she always had these really pretty acrylic nails and they were always done. Whenever she talked to us about Algebra 2, it just made sense to me. She’d be very practical about it. Since the class was small, there were only around ten people, so anyone could ask questions.

What is the biggest obstacle you've overcome?

This is very personal but I think I should be vulnerable with that. Over quarantine, specifically in virtual school, I don’t want to diagnose myself with anything but I had symptoms similar to those of seasonal depression. I would go to school, but when completing homework and projects I would isolate myself from my friends and I think that damaged a lot of my relationships. You can’t get over it, you can only really manage it and push yourself forward. I’m a Christian, so I really heavily believe in healing through God. There’s no cure for depression, so if you want it to be more permanent you would have to rely on God. I can move on and feel empowered to get help if I need it. That period was really hard, especially being isolated. Once I understood that my friends and family were going to support me, that people could sympathize and understand what I was going through, it was really, really, nice to know and really, helpful to get past that fog.

Who is your role model?

Outside of Jesus Christ, my mom. She immigrated to the country with my dad after they got married from Nigeria. I love hearing about our culture from her as well, and her talking about her experiences with our family and how she grew up and everything she’s been through. Even when she talks about the other women in her life like her aunt and my grandmother, I feel like she’s so resilient and so compassionate and hospitable. Those traits are obviously not genetic but I wish they were so I can remind myself more of her in that way. She’s so strong and I really love her for that.