Remarkable, driven senior Alayna Menecola has her academic ducks in a row and will continue her education to study health, medicine, and society at the astonishing Lehigh University next fall.

What are 3 words to describe your personality and why?

Three words to describe my personality would definitely be friendly, supportive, and determined. For my friendly personality, throughout my high school career I have learned that all of us students have different interests and we need to respect that, there is no need to be rude to others. As far as being supportive, being a captain for girl’s varsity soccer this year made it my job to help my teammates in any way they needed, whether it was understanding a drill or feeling more confident playing with new girls. Moreover, I consider myself determined by taking higher level courses in school as well as pushing myself constantly to do well in these classes.

What school will you be attending and why?

This fall I will be attending Lehigh University located in Bethlehem, PA. I chose Lehigh due to its rigorous academics, yet professional staff members, as well as its connections. I absolutely loved the campus on my first tour and even got the chance to participate in the Innovation Leadership Residency Club to further my involvement with the University before starting classes. In this club I was able to meet current students, mentors, and really engage myself with new experiences. Overall, I truly feel comfortable living at Lehigh for the next four years.

What are you studying and why?

Lehigh is a very science oriented college which is great since it coincides well with my interests. This fall I plan on majoring in health, medicine, and society while following a premed track to get a grasp on the global diseases prevalent in our nation today. I believe majoring in the medical field will really prepare me for what is yet to come in medical school in hopes of becoming a certified dermatologist.

How did you prepare yourself for college? / What classes did you take throughout high school to help you with your intended major?

Since I’m majoring in medicine, taking higher level science and math courses including AP Chemistry, AP Biology, Honors Biology, Elements of Scientific Research, AP Statistics, and Honors Calculus have really given me that edge for what to expect in my field. Taking any AP course is challenging, which is why this faster pace should prepare me for college in general.

What is your biggest goal in life?

My biggest goal in life is to definitely get into UPenn Medical School. Of course, earning my M.D. at the end of the day will be great, though I’d love to earn this degree at such a challenging school in order to make myself, as well as my family proud.

Explain your day to day goals and why you make them?

My day to day goals would be anywhere from completing all of my homework assignments before a certain time, to making sure I get at least an hour in at the gym three times a week. I make these daily goals to keep a routine going. I love to work out since it helps me relieve stress, and completing homework at a certain time is necessary for when I have to work later. Making these goals keeps my life a little more balanced which is why I constantly try to fulfill these goals.

What is your biggest accomplishment?

My biggest accomplishment so far in life would definitely be getting accepted into Lehigh University. With a very selective acceptance rate, I was super proud of myself for working so hard throughout high school to get where I am today in terms of my near future as an undergraduate student.

What is one thing that keeps you focused/on task?

Thinking of the terrible outcomes of not completing a task is rough. To keep me going, listening to music while doing my assignments is one thing that keeps me focused since I can effectively get my work done while being content with my music.

What/who inspired you to start making goals?

My parents have definitely inspired me to make my own goals. As a kid my parents have always told me to try my best in everything I do, which is why I have challenged myself to make them proud. With that said, I have set goals every year to earn straight A’s in my classes ever since.

What is one inspirational quote you live by to encourage you to stay on track?

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” -Albert Einstein. I think this quote is inspiring since so many people are scared to make mistakes, but fail to realize that making mistakes only prepares us more as individuals.

What advice do have to people who want to make goals?

I would say my advice to anyone who wants to make goals is to dream big and don’t automatically assume something is out of reach. If you apply yourself and work towards that goal a little bit every day, you will have a much better chance of fulfilling that goal.

Who will you remember most in Bangor and why?

Even though I’ll remember Mr. Nelson stopping me in the halls and making me slow down in the parking lot for years to come, I’d have to say I’ll remember Mr. D the sub the most. For some reason, he looked like my grandpa and was always pulling me aside to talk, which is something I’ll never forget.

What is your best high school memory and why?

My best high school memory had to be when I was named our Girls Soccer Scholar Athlete my senior year. All of my long hours of studying truly paid off in the end which was something I was proud to represent for myself, my team, and my school.

What is your worst high school memory and why?

My worst high school memory would have to be when I tore my ACL during the second practice of powderpuff junior year. I tried to cut around a teammate but failed and I fell. Not only did my knee hurt pretty bad, at the end of practice I had to walk up a hill to my mom’s car without knowing I just tore my ACL. The whole situation was pretty funny though since I actually thought I would be well enough to go to practice the next day.

Which band could play the soundtrack to you high school career and why?

Personally, I really like the bands Passion Pit and M83 since they both can be pretty mellow but can get upbeat when they need to be. As a student who focuses on school work and still likes to have fun, I think this laid back and happy aura would suit well, especially the songs “Midnight City” and “Sleepyhead,”

If there were a movie made about your high school days, which actor would play your part and why?

If there had to be a movie about my high school days, I would definitely want Katherine Langford to play my part. Not only does she have brown hair and blue eyes like me, we all know from 13 Reasons Why that she can act. If she can act that well in a tv series, I’m sure she could portray my high school days with perfect emotion as well.

Who influenced you the most in high school?

Although I have only known her for a year, I really think Mrs. Price influenced me greatly in high school. Mrs. Price was definitely a teacher that was strict when she needed to be, which was a change from a lot of my laid back teachers in previous years. The class itself was pretty fast paced which I think will prepare me for college immensely.

Where do you predict you’ll end up ten years from now and why?

Ten years from now I predict to be in the process of finishing my residencies to become a certified dermatologist. As a career goal; I have always wanted to be a doctor, though wanting to become a dermatologist came to me during sophomore year. With this said, in ten years I should already have my M.D. degree as well as completed medical school.

Which event/events will you miss he most and why?

There are many events I will miss in high school including being in the Quarry Crew for football games, going to track meets, soccer games, and the Super Slater event in the auditorium. All of these events, especially being in the Quarry Crew for football games, was super fun and really showcased our class spirit well which was great and something I’ll definitely miss most.

What is your favorite quote to live by and why?

“There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things, isn’t that kind of the point?” -Pam from The Office. Not only was this the best closing line any tv series has ever seen, this quote is important since it makes us realize how much we overlook things in the world. I feel like for most people time goes by so fast that we don’t even have time to sit down and think about what we’ve actually done. Taking the time to slow down, observe the world, and be optimistic is something every person needs to see in order to feel content in our society.