Poggi '19 Named One of D.C. Area's Extraordinary Teens

Eliza Poggi '19 has been named as one of Bethesda Magazine's Extraordinary Teens in its March/April issue, the second time this year that she has been recognized by a local magazine.

 

Poggi was among 11 local high school seniors and one junior to be highlighted by Bethesda Magazine, which focused on her role as a senior chorister and her interest in geology.

 

The latter, Poggi says, was sparked through her competing in geology events on NCS's Science Olympiad team. "I liked them a lot, and I did well in them," she says. "That kind of provoked my interest in earth science."

 

She has taken several college-level science and math classes at NCS, and last summer, she traveled to Catalina Island, Calif., for a metamorphic petrology internship through the University of Maryland. The goal of the work was to find out the origins of a mélange matrix—a fine-grained rock that surrounds blocks of different minerals.

 

Dr. Sarah Penniston-Dorland, the internship sponsor and an associate professor of geology at Maryland, told Bethesda Magazine that Poggi "is a real go-getter, [a] quick learner, and is able to synthesize information quickly."

 

Poggi has sung in the Cathedral Choir since 7th grade, and she says, "Being part of that has really made me feel like I'm prepared—for music in college and my adult life, but also just in general. You know the self-discipline you have to learn, and what it means to follow through on a commitment, because it's just such a high commitment."

 

At NCS, she has also made time to play saxophone in the orchestra and to run with the cross country and track teams. (The latter caught the attention of Run Washington magazine last fall, which did a photo shoot of Poggi and fellow chorister Molly Brigham '19 on the track in their robes in connection with a story on extracurricular activities.)

 

"In college, I want to focus academically on earth science, and then take some Arabic courses," Poggi says. "That's what I want to do for my coursework. But definitely music's going to play a role in my college experience. I'm already looking into groups on campus."

 

Congratulations, Eliza, on your well-deserved media attention!