Emily Atonal of Scranton High School
Q: What accomplishments are you most proud of and why?
A: The achievement I am most proud of is being a positive role model for my two younger sisters. They are both at a stage where what they observe directly influences their actions, especially when it comes to making good or bad decisions. Therefore, it is crucial that they have a good role model to look up to in their lives. I lead by example, demonstrating that anything is possible with the correct mindset. Similarly, they have shaped me into the person I am today by teaching me what true love is. They have also taught me what it takes to raise children to be future leaders in the world, so that when the time comes, they can achieve something even greater in life.
Q: Whom do you most admire and why?
A: I admire my mom because she is a passionate, hardworking and independent woman. She stays true to her word and always accomplishes what she sets out to do. I admit I do not often express how much I admire her, but deep down, she is the reason I do everything I do now. I want to make her proud because she fought to provide my siblings and me with a better life.
Q: What were your most rewarding school or community activities? Why?
A: My most rewarding experience was participating in the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences, or PGSS. It is a highly prestigious, merit-based, free five-week summer program at Carnegie Mellon University for rising high school seniors. During this program, I had the opportunity to meet a cohort of like-minded students who were hardworking, dedicated and intelligent. We managed five core classes, electives, labs and team projects, all while maintaining a social life. Fortunately, we were also given the chance to research and publish a paper in a journal. Looking back, I recall that on the first day at PGSS, I was nervous because I didn’t know anyone. However, all my worries vanished by the end of that first day, as we quickly became like family. It is incredible to think that by the end of the first week, we were hugging, sharing nicknames, eating in each other’s dorms and singing together late into the night.
Q: What do you do in your spare time?
A: My favorite hobbies are running, working out, and engaging in any physical activities because they allow me to take a step back and relax. I participate in the Scranton High School cross country and track and field teams as a distance runner and pole vaulter.
Q: What are your plans after high school graduation? Why did you choose this path?
A: I plan to defer a year of college to enlist in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. During that deferred year, I will attend the basic training camp, combat training, and my designated MOS school. At the MOS school, I will take classes to learn my given job field, supply administration and operations, which will teach me a plethora of valuable skills and knowledge. I especially want to use that knowledge to better understand the management that comes behind a large-scale financial system, so that when I open up my own dental clinic, I am more than prepared on how to operate and manage my business. Moving on, after the two camps and schooling are done for the military, I plan to return home to attend college while serving our beautiful country. Furthermore, I plan to use the leadership, knowledge and resilience that I adhered to in the process of becoming a Marine to contribute to my college community by means of volunteering, student government and sports.
Q: What is your advice to younger students?
A: You are what you surround yourself with. If you want to achieve great things in life, you must surround yourself with great people. If you hang out with sluggish, dishonest and childish individuals, you may become like them. Your environment influences your outcomes because, as humans, we tend to mimic those around us. We follow in their footsteps. So, it is important to think carefully about who you associate with, as they could be the reason for your success or downfall.
Q: Finish this sentence: The most interesting thing about me is …
A: My relentless drive to be better than I was yesterday.
A little about Emily Atonal
Emily Atonal is a multisport athlete whose scientific research appeared in a scholarly journal as part of the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences summer program. She is deferring college to join the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Her school says she has “exceptional drive, integrity, and leadership.”
The Scranton High School senior is the daughter of Kenia Acosta and Marco Atonal.
A sampling of her activities and honors include being named Student of the Year for the 2022-2023 school year, many Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science awards, basketball, cheerleading, track and field, cross country, lead officer of the student ambassador program, Aevidum club, recording secretary of the class of 2026 and the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today program.
Emily Atonal of Scranton High School (COURTESY OF
EMILY ATONAL)