Sarah Jankowski (12) plans to attend Winthrop University while playing for their D1 lacrosse team. Sarah plans to major in exercise science and explains how her athletic training internship here at Damascus has prepared her to “get [her] foot in the door” of the exercise science world. For the duration of her four years here at Damascus, Sarah has been a part of the Varsity Girls Lacrosse team and has played for 12 years in total. Sarah leads the team as a captain with her determined mindset, and love for the game. Additionally, Sarah has played for the Damascus Field Hockey team, and her fondest memory of her senior year so far has to be leading her team to make Damascus history having the “best record ever and playing in the county championship.” As well as her active engagement in Damascus Athletics, Sarah has also been a part of many clubs and organizations at our school such as FCA, Morgans Message, and NHS. When asked what advice she would give underclassmen, she urges students to “make the most of your four years at Damascus by joining clubs and sports as well as attending sporting events and forming strong relationships with peers and teachers.” Sarah also states that you must “manage your time well while being able to do all of those things.” When applying to colleges, a tip Sarah has for underclassmen is “Don’t write essays if you don’t have to, sometimes the common app isn’t the way to go in that regard.”
Ellis Vunga (12) currently plans to attend the University of Maryland to study Business and Finance. She grew a connection to business and finance through a non-profit organization that helps support school systems in Uganda. Ellis helps keep track of the finances for this non-profit and completes paperwork regarding their spending and donations they receive. She also is in the debate club, Best Buddies, and is active in many other volunteer organizations. Ellis plays tennis for the high school, and her fondest high school memories stem from “getting Dunkin’ before games with Ariana,” her tennis partner. So far in her senior year, Ellis has enjoyed homecoming and football games and enjoys “getting ready and hanging out with friends.” She looks forward to her college decisions and future school events such as prom. Regarding the college application process, Ellis notes that “there are no clear instructions, and you may have to figure out the college application process on your own,” especially if you are the oldest sibling or an only child. Her advice for the underclassmen is to “get an SAT score you’re happy with before the end of your junior year,” since most of the testing information is learned in 10th-11th grade. Furthermore, she urges an early start to your college application process and recommends finishing your main essay the summer before your senior year. Ellis has been a part of the school’s dual enrollment program for the past two years and is currently taking all of her classes at Montgomery College. This has been useful to her as dual enrollment has helped her get “a greater idea of what [she] want[s] to major in.” Furthermore, she has a year’s worth of college credits which she will transfer to UMD. Through her MC classes, Ellis learned to “work on accountability,” and stay on top of her work since some professors may not be as vocal about due dates and criteria for assignments and exams once in college.
After high school, Claire Beabout (12) plans to attend a four-year university to study marine science. She chose this path to “get a higher education to earn a job later on in life.” So far, the highlight of her senior year is being a part of the first girl’s flag football team here at Damascus. Claire loves this sport and “[has] so much fun with [her] team, and love[s] exploring what this sport has to offer.” It is Claire’s first season playing flag football, however she has played in the school powderpuff games for the past 4 years. Claire is a captain for the flag football team as well as our girl’s lacrosse team. Claire has been on Varsity girls lacrosse and the swim team for 4 years. Aside from sports, Claire is also Captain of the debate club and is a member of the FCA club. Claire’s favorite high school memory was “breaking the school medley relay record with her teammates,” earning her a spot on the record board. Claire’s advice for the younger students at Damascus is to “get involved now that way you have no regrets after high school.” The biggest challenge when applying to colleges is the amount of “long and annoying,” writing that is required by most schools as well as the common app. A tip she has for underclassmen when undergoing the college application process is to “talk to someone who just went through it to explain the whole process.” This is helpful so you can be educated on the next steps, and gauge a better understanding of how to manage your time.
