Gettelfinger, who tops her class with a 4.55 GPA, constantly extended herself throughout her high school career, pursuing the two facets she loves most: service and the arts. She is vice president of the school’s National Honor Society chapter, an actress on the Perry stage, a member of the Creative Writing and Kiwanis Key clubs and managing editor of The Focus, the school newspaper.
“What I do after school is my greatest motivation,” she said. “My extracurricular activities added significance and memorability to my school life.”
For underclassmen, Gettelfinger said she believes that high school is best experienced when one’s heart and soul are into the full scope of the experience, for better or for worse.
She hopes to become a rheumatologist and will enter a premedical track of study at the University of Evansville in the fall.
Frustero earned a 4.54 GPA behind her passion for math and a strong desire to learn. She attributes her academic success to hard work, which she dedicates in memory of her mother.
Frustero is one of nine Marion County students to receive a Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, which will provide a four-year, full-tuition grant to any accredited university in the state. She plans to major in secondary education at the University of Indianapolis and would like to be a calculus teacher.
“I’ve had lots of experience helping my friends with math, and I found that I love to see their glow of understanding once I answer a question,” said a humble yet determined Frustero. “I enjoy being helpful.”
She emphasized the importance of taking risks in high school and that underclassmen should not be afraid to solidify their knowledge. “The biggest things you can do are so much more than what you would initially believe or anticipate. Don’t settle. Try the harder stuff from time to time; they usually don’t bite. You’ll probably surprise yourself, as I did.”