Rhoslyn Senior Spotlight

Natalia Bieszczad '24

Tell us about your favorite high school memory.

I think my favorite high school memory is Spirit Week because it brings the whole school together and makes it feel like a community. It’s a lot of fun and inspires competition, which all Masterman students love.

What teacher has had a big impact on your high school experience?

Mr. Tannen has been one of my favorite teachers at Masterman because I’ve always enjoyed his class. I’ve had him for three years and he connects with students differently than other teachers which is a nice change. I can always joke with him and count on him for a smile.

You have been a dancer for fifteen years, tell me about it.

I started dancing when I was three and a half and I’ve never stopped. I mainly do ballet but I also do theater and contemporary at the Philadelphia Dance Academy. It’s been a huge part of my life because it takes up so much time and takes so much dedication and sacrifice to show up to all the classes, dances, and rehearsals. It taught me how to manage my time very well. I feel like I now have a lot of control over my life which will be very useful in college. It’s been a lot of fun to grow up with the people I dance with because we have known each other for so long and have watched each other become the people we are today. It's been an amazing experience and I am looking into continuing it to some degree at college.

Tell us about your experience as an editor of Voices.

I used to say that I hated writing and always avoided it. I thought to myself, “why would I join the school newspaper if I didn’t like writing?” It’s been a really fun experience though. I learned that I do actually enjoy writing, I just wasn’t writing about things I wanted to before. Being able to choose the articles I write and put my own voice into them has made writing so much more fun. I loved helping others discover this as well as an editor. This club was a great way to make connections and meet students in other grades.

What is a piece of advice you would give your freshman self?

Branch out more and try everything. I didn’t consider everything there was to offer as a freshman (partially because my time was limited by dance) but I didn’t participate in as much as I wish I did. You can meet so many more people and have a much better time if you try to do everything though.

What are you looking forward to most in college?

I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of new people because while I have loved the close-knit community at Masterman, it can be limiting. I’m excited for the opportunities that will come with being at a bigger school and hopefully find new interests and passions.