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Zoe Zidzik beats the odds for scholarship

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Foothills Focus Executive Editor

Caurus Academy senior Zoe Zidzik was selected as a NASSP National Honor Society Scholarship national semifinalist.

She was among the nearly 10,000 applicants nationally and was selected as one of 575 semifinalists awarded a $3,200 college scholarship.

“I put in a lot of effort in the scholarship application,” Zidzik said. “It was rewarding to see my hard work pay off.”

In the application, she had to answer questions, write an essay, include recommendations, and explain the work she did throughout high school.

In the fall, Zidzik is headed to NAU, where she will study environmental science, she said she believes.

“I’m not 100% sure, but I want to do YOUTH something related to researching and make a positive effect on the world,” she said. “I’ve always liked helping people and doing stuff outside, so I thought it would be a really good fit for me.”

While Zidzik is at NAU, she’s hoping to play intramural sports and participate in clubs. Many of her friends are

Zod Zidzik, a senior at Anthem’s Caurus Academy, will attend NAU this fall. She has a pet pig, two

dogs and two cats at home. (Photo courtesy of Zoe Zidzik)

attending NAU as well.

Zidzik was born in Missouri and then relocated with her family to Indiana. She lived there until she was 14 and them moved to Arizona.

“It was hard leaving my friends,” she said. “I played competitive soccer in Indiana. I ran cross country here. I was the captain of the team for both years.”

Other than school athletics, Zidzik enjoys going hiking, attending concerts and driving around with friends, listening to music. The last concerts she went to were Rex Orange County and The Breakup Shoes. She also enjoys throwback “dad” music like Nirvana, as well as Britney Spears and Kesha.

At Caurus Academy, Zidzik interviewed students and teachers on camera for broadcast on Fridays. She also served as National Honor Society president, joined the chess team and sold concessions at events.

“After moving here, I was able to make a lot of friends just by going to a lot of different activities,” said Zidzik, who has a pet pig, two dogs and two cats.