2025 Outstanding Young Citizens
Congratulations to our Outstanding Young Citizens!
Shaun Fernando
Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, 12
Parent(s)/Guardian(s):
Placida Fernando
Academic Achievement
USTA 18 and Under Top 175 in the Nation (Current) | United States Tennis Association, Student Ambassador – 3 Years
National Merit – Finalist (Top 1% of PSAT Scorers), Student Ambassador – 1 Year
PGSS Selectee (11% Acceptance Rate) | Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences, Student Ambassador – 1 Year
Coca-Cola Scholar National Semifinalist (1.12% Acceptance Rate), Student Ambassador – 1 Year
National School Recognition Award + National Hispanic Recognition Award Recipient | College Board, Student Ambassador – 1 Year
Extracurricular Activities
Nationally / Internationally Ranked USTA/ITF High Performance Player | United States Tennis Association | ITF Junior Circuit | North Allegheny HS Varsity Tennis, President – 4 Years
Independent Software/Hardware Engineer | Potamoi & MyH2O, President – 4 Years
Caltech Up Close (CUC) Scholar | California Institute of Technology, Student Ambassador – 1 Year
Leadership Fellow and Team Captain | USTA Foundation | National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) | Haber Career Week and American Express (AmEx) Cup, President – 1 Year
Research Scholar | Hillman Cancer Research Fellow & YES Program | UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy | University of Pittsburgh, Member – 4 Years
Community Involvement
Alumni Student Volunteer | Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences (PGSS) Campaign, Student Ambassador – 1 Year
Founder, Lead Coach, Mentor | Marshall Middle School Tennis Club, President – 1 Year
Senior Water Challenge Ambassador + Events Organizer | EarthEcho International, Student Ambassador – 4 Years
Full-Time Lead Student Volunteer + Events Organizer | Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC), Captain – 3 Years
Lead USTA Foundation Ambassador | USTA Excellence Team | USTA Foundation | Net Generation, Student Ambassador – 2 Years
Plans
From exploring genetic similarities between humans and fruit flies in middle school to advanced work in computational biology and biophysics, including CMU Biophysics research, creating the water quality bot Potamoi with myH2O, and serving as a Hillman Cancer Research Fellow in the YES Program at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy, University of Pittsburgh, I have approached science through curiosity and discovery, and I plan to study mechanical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh or CMU