Academic: Ohsoo Kwon
Ohsoo Kwon is the epitome of a scholar. Kwon is taking six AP classes this year, not including his honors orchestra zero period and additional Calculus 2 at Santa Ana College. Kwon has never gotten anything but an A on his final transcript. He mentioned that this year might be the year a B will happen. Kwon has his future plans mapped out. He either wants to work in the medical field or have a career in the space industry. He would like to attend Stanford. This is Kwon’s first time taking as many hard classes as he is taking. Kwon said that he does not do much of his homework at home. He only does the homework for his college class outside of school. Other than that, he completes most of his homework at lunch or in other classes.
Athlete: Quincy Collins
Quincy Collins is a top-tier athlete at Arcata High School. She plays middle position on the varsity girls volleyball team. She has been playing volleyball since sixth grade and has been on the AHS varsity team since her freshman year. She does the high jump on the Track and Field team and has been running track since sixth grade as well. Last year, she competed in track at a state level, being one of the only people who went from the area. Collins’s pregame routine consists of listening to music and thinking about the game ahead. A superstition she has is that when the ball is coming over the net for a serve, Collins always wipes off the bottom of her shoes. Her track superstition is moving her body in a certain motion before jumping. Collins would like to continue one or both of these sports after high school.
Activist: Carolyn Van Mantgen
When it comes to activism, Carolyn Van Mantgen gets an Arcata A+! Being an environmental activist is something that Van Mantgem takes seriously, and she loves nothing more than keeping the world we live in clean. Van Mantgem started a recycling program at Arcata High School this year but has been working on the program since the beginning of last year. Now her program is getting more involvement. Every other Wednesday, Van Mantgem and
other students meet up during study hall and sort all the recycling bins from around campus. This action must occur in order to make sure there is no contamination. Last week, Go Green Club successfully recycled 19 whole bins of recycling with only one contamination. Van Mantgem said that “getting involved with Go Green Club is a great way to get involved” and learn to be more environmentally friendly.
Artist: Neco Mola
“His talent is indescribable,” senior Ell Franklin said. Neco Mola is an accomplished artist. He said that he just draws all the time, at any time. Mola is taking AP Studio Art, and his sustained investigation surrounds the different systems that make up the human body and the ways in which they connect and function together. “I’ve been drawing forever,” Mola said. He explained how he doesn’t have a specific style, but instead likes to draw or paint a little bit of everything. Mola’s favorite medium is oil painting, oil pastels, and graphite. He has been an artist his whole life, although he started taking art more seriously in fifth grade. “I pretty much absorb anything I see,’’ Mola said on how he feels about other styles of art and his inspirations. Before Mola starts a big project, he lays out all of the materials he will need for the entire piece.
