Natasha Burch
Natasha attended Oakton High School in Vienna, Virginia where she was a 4 year varsity gymnastics team member and senior year co-captain, 3 year DECA member and competitor and 2 time Virginia state finalist and international career development conference competitor, National Honor Society Treasurer, and Center Peer tutor.
On choosing UVA:
I chose UVA because from the first time I visited, I could picture myself as a student there, walking around campus and going from class to class. I also grew up knowing I wanted to go into business and always seeing UVA as a top ranked undergraduate business school, so I grew up idolizing the school and wanting to go there. Another huge reason for why I chose UVA is because of the schools reputation for how involved students get not only inside the classroom but also out of it through clubs and organizations.
On looking ahead to the fall semester:
This Fall at UVA I am most looking forward to getting involved in numerous clubs and/or organizations that I am passionate about and finding and making friends through all of these activities. My anticipated major is business with concentrations in finance and management.
Jonathan Daniel
Jonathan attended JEB Stuart High School, but following my senior class’ Change the Name movement, we are now called Justice High School.
On the leadership opportunities that paved the way to UVA:
Some extracurriculars that have played a large role in my life include being the Executive Board Secretary for my school’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), being a Treasurer, Vice President, and President of my school’s Student Government Association (SGA), and being the leader of my school’s Future Medical Leaders of America club. These organizations have given me a good perspective of leadership and the intricacies of governing, as well as inspiring a greater passion within my for the field of medicine. Lastly, the awards that I take most pride in is being nominated from my school for the Presidential Scholarship, being invited to an International Teleconference with high schools around the world regarding the 2016 Presidential Election, and being accepted into the High School Diplomats Program. What I value most about these accomplishments is that it validates me in my pursuit of becoming a global citizen
On choosing UVA:
Growing up, I have always had a passion in regards to the interconnected nature of engineering and medicine. This passion was derived from from my roots: India. However, I have yet to discern which career path to follow. What I realized in my college search is that at UVA, regardless of what major and future I decide to pursue, the programs and the opportunities available will perfectly orient me towards my career goals. I have the firm belief that the prestigious curriculum, environment of supportive faculty, and driven students at UVA will serve as a launchpad as I aim to attend graduate school and explore career options. In addition, while a good education is essential in college, a balanced social life was also something I valued in college. This was certainly the case at UVA. Looking at activities such as Lighting of the Lawn and free sports games, I could tell that the college as a whole pushed to create an incredibly strong community which was reflected in the spirit and enthusiasm of current and past students. For all of these reasons, in addition to the many amazing quirks unique to UVA, I chose to attend the University of Virginia.
On looking ahead to the fall semester:
College as a whole is a place that is known to not only create fantastic memories, but also shape your future. Therefore, I am simply most excited to see which avenue of life UVA will guide me to. UVA has an incredible amount of programs, activities, and opportunities throughout this campus for individuals of all interests. With this multitude of options, I am excited to see how greatly these experiences will add perspective to my life and influence my future as a whole. I am planning on studying biomedical engineer and work on a pre-med track.