High School: Point Loma High School
College: Yale University

For most, the dream of setting up a peace-building dance studio for Jewish and Palestinian students in Jerusalem could only be a fantasy. For Tessa, whose drive and ambition are rivaled only by her compassion and grace, this lofty goal is well within the reaches of her capabilities. Her lengthy list of accomplishments, which include a Harvard Book Prize for choreography, leadership as field hockey team captain, and the first high school student to serve as a “Messenger of Peace,” is a testament to her passion and determination. Undoubtedly, Tessa will find some answers to the running list of questions she keeps as she studies chemical engineering at Yale.

Words I live by:
“An intelligent person fights for lost causes, realizing that all others are merely effects.” e.e. cummings