Grade: Graduated senior

Family members: Steve and Tracy Samuelson are my parents, and I have a 22-year-old sister named Molly.

Favorite subject: Chemistry was my favorite subject. I had a fantastic AP Chem teacher my junior year, Dr. Krieger, who really knew how to push her students to their full potential. In addition, while attending a summer program at Carnegie Mellon last July, I had the opportunity to do original research on fuel cell catalysts, which has really gotten me excited for organic chemistry in college.

Activities: I ran cross country, played tennis, captained Freedom High's Scholastic Scrimmage and math team, was a member of the FHS theatre company and the FHS senior class president and the captain of one of the Lehigh Valley's American Regions Mathematics league (ARML) teams.

Next steps: Attend either Princeton or the University of Pennsylvania, and major in organic chemistry while minoring in either economics, theater or neuroscience.

Career goals: I want to become either an oncologist or a cardiac surgeon, or possibly work in a chemistry lab to develop new cancer treatments.

Heroes: John Green, author and New York Times columnist, is one of the people who inspires me the most. He keeps a vlog with his brother Hank, and the two of them are ridiculously funny while also being very informative and insightful through a series of web lectures, which I love watching every week.

Hobbies: Reading (both textbooks and for pleasure), watching the news, hanging out with my cross country team.

Current job(s): I work at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem, as a Houseman who assists in banquet setup.

Volunteer/community work: I volunteer at St. Luke's University Hospital and have volunteered at MusikFest in the past.

Likes: Running, acting, Jeopardy!, math problems, Pokemon, American Eagle

Dislikes: TV movies, cold weather, rural areas, deadlines

Greatest accomplishment (so far): Captaining the Lehigh Valley ARML B1 team to a second place finish nationally for B teams last June at Penn State.

Advice for peers: Keep a good balance between school and extracurriculars. Spending too much time on your grades and trying to impress teachers can keep you away from awesome experiences outside of the classroom, and vice versa. And don't be afraid to try something new! The Freedom Theatre company is one of the most rewarding, exciting things I've been a part of, and I only joined in 11th grade.

Julia Swan coordinates student profiles for the Bethlehem Press.