Yana Savitsky

How has Yana Savitsky not been honored with a Friday Five yet?

It’s a good question, given that she checks all the boxes seemingly required to receive one.

The senior makes her presence known all over the high school as an athlete, entrepreneur, and scholar, among other calling cards.

“She is one of the most diligent people I know,” said friend Tegan Heswall. “She doesn’t let obstacles get in her way, but she crushes them with her power of always having a positive outlook on what’s in the near future.”

Known for her meticulously-crafted Spotify playlists and thorough test preparation, Savitsky has seemingly mastered the work-life balance.

Savitsky has found some of her best escapes in practicing yoga, running on the Cross Country team, and winding down at night with episodes of Parks and Recreation and Scandal.

In an effort to pass along some of her expertise, she helped co-found Life Focus Club, a casual club focused on improving wellness through meditation and fellowship.

She has also played an integral part in the founding and development of CampusCentral, a Business Incubator group seeking funding to create a video conferencing service that connects high schoolers with college students at their prospective universities.

“She always empathizes with everyone around her, and she is truly a blast to be around,” said business partner Will Elliott.

Savitsky is also somewhat of a YouTube star, as the Ted Talk she delivered last year on the Pomodoro Technique, a structured time management strategy, has racked up over 400,000 views. While unexpected, she has taken her relative stardom with grace.

She is also greatly involved with the New Media program and hopes to make visual storytelling part of her future career. Over the summer, she participated in the virtual Chicago Summer Stories program, an Apple-backed initiative that supports high schoolers in an effort to tell local stories.

“Whether it’s staying late on the set of New Media’s Seven Day challenge or studying late for one of her many AP classes, she gives everything she does 110%,” said friend Andy Wehmeyer. “Yana keeps climbing higher and higher towards her goals, but never forgets to reach out to her friends and help them along the way.”

Said Heswall, “If we are getting snazzy for The Forest Scout, here’s an emoji to describe Yana: ?”