Yassmine Moyta truly embodies the spirit of a dedicated and outstanding student, and it’s a pleasure to celebrate her as Senior of the Month. Her brilliance and warmth shine through in everything she does. Not only does she excel in the rigorous academic environment of Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School, where she takes on the most demanding courses and achieves top grades, but she also juggles a myriad of activities, a part-time job at her father’s pizza shop, and contributes to her community with heartfelt service. Yassmine’s ability to manage her time is nothing short of remarkable, as she balances her studies with her passion for music, sports, peer counseling, and mentoring projects with such grace and effectiveness.

Yassmine’s commitment to her education and her community is inspiring. At Masterman, she has taken on a challenging curriculum of Honors and AP classes, exceeding the expectations by pursuing four AP courses in her senior year after a successful appeal. Her pursuit of academic excellence extends beyond school boundaries; she enrolled in an Introduction to Calculus class at the University of Pennsylvania as part of their Young Scholars Program. Her extracurricular involvement is as impressive as her academic endeavors, with leadership roles in Mock Trial, significant contributions to National History Day, and guiding younger students through mentorship. All this while maintaining a part-time role at her family business and following in the footsteps of her older brother, a Masterman graduate himself.

Yassmine’s aspirations in the business realm are rooted in her experiences at her father’s pizza establishment, where she has honed her skills in customer service, communication, problem-solving, and efficiency. These skills, combined with her innovative spirit, were showcased in her leadership during the Junior Achievement Program and her proactive involvement in the CIEE Global Entrepreneurship Program in Dublin, Ireland. Such experiences have provided Yassmine with a robust foundation for her future college studies in Business. Moreover, she carries the ambition to be a force for change in the world of business, advocating for gender equity and fair treatment.

In the words of her school counselor, Heather Marcus, “Yassmine is absolutely amazing! She excels in rigorous classes, mentors younger students, participates in sports, clubs, our school orchestra, and more! In order to prepare for college she pursued her interest in business by participating in several programs outside of school. She’s always eager to work hard, learn more, and explore possibilities. Yassmine will be a first generation college student, and she’s accepted to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. To top it all off, she’s genuinely a kind, caring, and thoughtful person!”

We asked Yassmine some of our favorite questions:

1. What does being named Senior of the Month mean to you?

I am very honored to be recognized for this award. Being senior of the month is a recognition of my involvement in my school community. It makes me feel very seen and appreciated.

2. Why do you think you were nominated for Senior of the Month?

I think I was nominated because of my involvement in my school community. I am the leader of a few clubs and sports teams around my school. For example, I am the captain of the Girl’s Varsity Soccer team and President of the Masterman chapter of the National Honor Society. I also am generally a hard-working person, and do my best to succeed to the best of my ability.

3. You were nominated by Heather Marcus. Explain your relationship to him/her. Why do you think s/he nominated you specifically?

Ms. Marcus is my school counselor. She helped me out a lot during the college application process this past fall, and she was the person I would go to for advice whenever I was worried or didn’t know how to do something. I think she nominated me because we have a really good bond and relationship, and she has seen how hard I have worked throughout high school.

4. What is one thing you’d like to share about yourself that most people don’t know about you?

One of my hobbies is spontaneously signing up for runs like the Broad Street Run or the Philadelphia Half Marathon with no training just to see how I do.  I also enjoy learning random skills like how to juggle or how to solve a Rubik’s cube.

5. What do you enjoy most when you are not at school?

I enjoy going out to eat with friends, playing sports, or watching movies. I am the type of person to rewatch the same movies a lot because I know I like them. I have seen The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the Pitch-Perfect movies, and the Harry Potter movies countless amount of times.

6. In your opinion, what is the best thing about attending school at Masterman?

My favorite thing about Masterman is the community. We have been going to school with each other since the fifth grade and the environment is very comfortable because you have been with the same 120 people for so long. I also love how if you have a question about how to do something there is always at least one other student who can help you out and is very willing to do so. Everyone is always doing something cool, pushing each other to do more and improve in every aspect of life. Being such a small school with so many clubs and sports teams everyone is involved in a lot at the school, and we can have so many student groups with very few students because of this involvement. There is a lot of comradery and healthy competition between the students and the environment feels very homey, and I like the school because of it.

7. In your opinion, what is one thing that the School District could do to improve our service to students?

Something the school district needs to do is improve our facilities. Many schools throughout the district are very old and in need of repair and I think the district needs to start working on bettering the facilities that students and teachers are in for 7 hours a day 180 days per year.

As we celebrate Yassmine Moyta for her incredible achievements and her selection as Senior of the Month, we extend our heartfelt congratulations for her unwavering dedication and exemplary performance in all facets of her life. Yassmine’s journey is a testament to the power of hard work, determination, and the pursuit of excellence. May her future endeavors be met with the same passion and success that have defined her time at Masterman. We are confident that she will continue to inspire and lead, making a positive impact on the world of business and beyond. Congratulations, Yassmine, on this well-deserved recognition!