Student Spotlight: Emily Urbanski
by Shailee Desai ’21
As co-leader of Math Center, captain of the tennis team, a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist, Levi Sprague (and so much more), senior Emily Urbanski’s presence on campus is hard to ignore. The Opinator has been dying to get the answers to all of your questions about this car loving, healthy eating, donut loving (tennis donuts, not real ones) student leader, and we’ve done just that. In this week’s edition of Student Spotlight, get to know Emily:
What is your favorite book?
Maus by Art Spiegelman (Shout out to Seminar!). Since it’s a graphic novel, the author uses not only text but pictures (comic strips) to tell the story. I enjoyed analyzing the artistic choices and composition of each page as well as reading the story.
What is your favorite part about living at Sem?
I love meeting and getting to know all the boarding students and learning about their cultures, especially international students.
What type of music do you like?
Pretty much anything… pop, rap, classic rock, etc. with the exception of most country songs.
As you’re in the midst of college applications, what advice do you have for juniors, sophomores, and freshmen about getting ready to apply?
Start visiting colleges early to get a feel for what you like! Also, don’t stress about not knowing your major, since most colleges let you apply undecided and allow you to change majors easily. Explore classes at Sem to find your interests, but don’t worry if you don’t have it figured out when it’s time to apply.
What’s your favorite outdoor activity?
Definitely hiking. It’s an enjoyable way to exercise, and the feeling of accomplishment at the end of a hike— like when you reach the summit of a mountain or a waterfall—is so satisfying.
As one of the captains of the tennis team, what is your goal for the season?
Winning districts is definitely the biggest goal, but working well as a team and having fun with the season are also important goals that I think we’ve crushed so far.
If you could have dinner with any famous person (living or dead) who would it be, and why?
I’d probably have dinner with Roger Federer. I’d ask him about how he’s been so successful as a tennis player and about his first-hand experiences from the biggest matches of his career. I think it’d be so cool to hear his perspective on how he handled championship point on Centre Court at Wimbledon, and it’d be amazing to hear about his best and worst moments during tournaments, too.
What is something that nobody knows about you?
Probably my love of cars. Most of my friends are surprised when I know the model and price of random cars I see on the road. And my dream car is a Lamborghini. 🙂
