Senior Spotlight: Kira Gulko (12-1)

That's part of why I really love Pep Squad. It helps me transfer outside of school to the inside. Also, Diller Teen Fellows, the leadership program, that’s been really cool. I’m also a barista, I work at a local coffee shop, Cafe ole. That's my weekend gig.

What is your favorite memory of high school?

Doing the showcases and lip syncs with pep squad; that's the reason we all got so close and shared all those memories. Most of the time we are really unprepared as much as I hate to say it.

We’re always backstage freaking out, figuring out how to do things. But once we get onstage we get really excited. The audience gets really excited and it's been really great.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned during your time at Masterman?

It's kind of cheesy but I didn't believe a lot of people when they said the four years go by really quickly. I would always think, ‘no it's going to take forever, highschool is going to be forever. Just because we have been at this school for so long. But it really did go by in a flash. So I think learning to savor your moments here and make as many relationships as you can is really valuable because it does go by in a flash.

Is there anything that you wish would have been different about your high school experience?

Well, definitely the virtual. We missed out on a lot of things, but that was out of my control. Focusing less on academics and trying to push myself more academically, and living in the moment rather than worrying about what’s to come.

Do you know what you want to major in next year?

I’m thinking maybe psychology or cognitive science. I’ve always been interested in the way the mind works and how people interact. So that's what got me into thinking about psychology and then I discovered cognitive science which is an interdisciplinary study of math, philosophy, linguistics, psychology, neuroscience. I don’t have a lot of experience with any of those so it would be cool to see where that takes me.

What is your proudest moment?

I don’t have a specific moment in mind, but looking back I think about my mindset, the friendships and relationships I’ve made and what I’ve accomplished leading up to this moment. I can’t think of a specific moment where I’ve felt like I’ve made it. I think it's a collection and a mix of everything that’s led up to today and hopefully the future.

Is there a quote/mantra that you try to live your life by?

‘Fake it til you make it’. If you're not confident about something or you’re really doubting yourself, having that mindset of ‘you know what you’re doing and you’re gonna be fine’ really helped me through a lot of situations.

What fictional character do you most relate to?

I wrote this in a college essay actually. I wrote that I relate to Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit. In 9th grade with Mr. Gilken we had to read it and I didn’t really resonate with the book but I did resonate with the character. At first he really doubted himself and wasn’t confident. He was very sheltered in his own space and wouldn't go out of his comfort zone. Once he did, he met with a lot of success and people started to notice him. I relate to that, feeling the need to push myself and see where that takes me. I keep wanting to push myself after that.

What album/song represents your life right now?

I’ve been listening to this for days on end; it's Lana del Rey's new album Blue Banisters. Lyrically, I don’t know if it really represents my life right now because it's kind of sad and I don’t want to be thinking that way but it's a really good album. It's been getting me through.