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| Anna Rosati will participate in the Martin W. Essex School for the Gifted this summer at The Ohio State University. |
Anna Rosati, a junior at Madison-Plains High School, is one of only 70 students in Ohio selected to take part in the 2008 Martin W. Essex School for the Gifted. The program will take place June 22-28 at The Ohio State University.
Founded in 1976, the Essex School provides top students with exposure to a variety of career options and a chance to interact with other high-achieving students. The week is filled with seminars, workshops and independent studies “de-signed to provide enrichment opportunities that reach beyond the average high school experience,” according to the school’s Web site, www.ssco.org/essex.
“This is quite an honor. It’s a prestigious program with a wonderful assortment of challenging courses,” said Jean Bednar, guidance counselor at Madison-Plains.
Each day of the program, participants will explore a different topic:
Monday—Team-building and diversity
Tuesday—The Arts and Society (print making, choir, playwright’s process, dance)
Wednesday—Understanding Our Global World (issues faced by people with disabilities, religion, college admissions)
Thursday—Studying the Self and the Environment (plant microbe genomics, careers in medicine, chemistry)
Friday—The Legal System (SWAT, polygraph science, CIA, a prison tale)
Time also will be set aside for a talent show, literary magazine, slide show and recreational activities.
As for why she applied for the Essex School, Rosati said, “My guidance counselor informed me of the program. She thought it looked like a lot of fun and a good opportunity, and I agreed.”
Applicants were required to write a 500-word essay and secure two recommenda-tions from teachers. Applications were due in February.
“We think very highly of Anna. She’s one of our top students. She’s a young lady who just loves to learn,” Bednar said.
Rosati plays clarinet in the marching band and concert band and is a mem-ber of the yearbook staff at Madison-Plains. Outside of school, she is a member of the London Christian Fellowship youth group and Girl Scouts. She aspires to be an elementary school teacher.
Rosati, 17, is the daughter of Molly and Jack Rosati of the Midway area.
The Ohio Department of Education covers the cost of tuition, room and board, field trips and other activities associated with the Martin W. Essex School for the Gifted. The school’s namesake served as state superintendent of public instruction from 1966 to 1976.
