Super Kid: Jackson High senior’s going places
Published 11:54 am Monday, March 1, 2010
Saipan study: Marya Oestreich spent her junior year of high school in Saipan, a country of 60,000 in the Mariana Islands. She was born on the island, where her dad worked as a legal consultant to the governor. She lived there until the age of 5, when her family moved to Mill Creek.
Family connection: Unlike most students who study abroad, Marya did not go through an organization. Rather, she stayed with one of her mom’s old friends and attended classes at Saipan International School with her host sisters.
Since Saipan is in the Commonwealth of the United States, her classes were in English. She found most people on the island warm and inviting. “It’s kind of like being at summer camp all year long.”
Many schools: Marya attended Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy High School her freshman and sophomore years of school; then moved to Saipan, and is now attending Jackson High School in Mill Creek. However, she is enrolled in Edmonds Community College through the Running Start program. She enjoys meeting older students at community college. “They have a lot to offer because they’ve lived life and have wisdom to offer.”
Serious Scout: When she was 5, Marya and her mom founded a Girl Scout troop in Mill Creek. Marya wrote letters to her friends, asking them to join. Several of the girls stayed with the troop, and last summer they took a trip to Europe. “Not everyone is best friends in school, but when we’re in Scouting everyone gets together and has a good time. It’s a nice variation from the cliques of high school.”
Blue devils: Marya was granted early admission to Duke University in North Carolina. She plans to study neuroscience there in the fall. “I’ve always been fascinated by the brain. My great-uncle is a neurosurgeon.”
National team: Marya played goalie for the Saipan National Women’s Soccer Team. She traveled to Guam with the team for a competition. “We practice all year for one game. We lost 7-0 and I’d still do it all over again.”
Favorite book: Marya loves the classics, but her favorite author is children’s writer Roald Dahl. “Who doesn’t love Roald Dahl?”
Herald Writer Kaitlin Manry
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