We are pleased to announce that Julia Trzepizur has been selected as the FLEX program’s Student of the Month for May 2024.
Julia has fostered a meaningful relationship with her host family and actively seeks opportunities to engage with her host community and share her culture. Likewise, she eagerly embraces chances to learn about West Virginia’s history and cultural traditions. Julia and her host family volunteer together, engage in dance sessions, and participate in discussions about important topics such as climate change and healthy living. Julia's proactive efforts to nurture this relationship exemplify her gratitude for the hospitality her host family provides, creating a foundation for lasting memories and shared experiences.
Julia’s 120 hours of volunteer service demonstrate the ingenuity of her approach to community building. Some of the initiatives that she’s created or taken part in include raising money for the Jefferson County School’s Shoe and Coat Fund, organizing a STEAM Talk at Jefferson High School encouraging students to engage on science topics, sharing donuts at lunchtime with classmates on Fat Tuesday to showcase Polish traditions, selling Christmas socks to gather resources for children in Morocco, spreading positivity on World Mental Health Day by planting Polish flags around school with encouraging notes, planning a charity ball to support the Boys and Girls Club, and creating Wear Red Day at her school to promote awareness about heart disease.
Julia's extensive involvement in various school clubs and activities demonstrates her exceptional dedication and leadership skills. Not only has she joined numerous clubs, including JROTC, Key Club, Science National Honor Society, National Honor Society, FCCLA, French Club, DECA Club (where she serves as Vice President), Debate Club (as Treasurer), and HOSA Club (as Secretary), but she has also excelled in each of them. Her achievements include winning the first place for her project in a Social Studies Fair at school and winning a West Virginia University essay contest about forestry! Moreover, Julia has joined the lacrosse and tennis teams, despite having no prior experience in these sports.
Julia's collaborative spirit and dedication to fostering international connections are truly commendable. Her project's success in PAX's Virtual Exchange contest, resulting in a first-place win, highlights her ability to work effectively with others and showcases her creativity and innovation. Her presentation at PAX's national conference, which included an interactive dance lesson for the attendees, reflects her passion, confidence, and commitment to promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding.
Julia has shown great tenacity and has a message for other exchange students. “As exchange students, we are going to face a lot of challenges…however I would like to encourage everybody to remember that you are able to accomplish everything you want to if you don't stop trying and believing in your abilities!”
