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Samantha Balconi

5,255

Bold Points

6x

Nominee

1x

Finalist

Bio

I tend to focus much on my academic life, but as I grow, I have learned to balance that with my social life and work. I have taken AP classes, along with honors classes, and plan on taking more in my senior year! I also love to help my school out whenever they need it through volunteer work. I have been a counselor for their summer camp program since freshman year and have also helped out my advisor with whatever she needs, such as clearing out her room at the end of the year or writing letters to students and faculty. My goals in life are to use my passion for art to create a happier world. I would love to create change through volunteer work and making donations to those in need. I have already begun donating supplies to the homeless, such as food and toiletries, but I would love to be a part of something bigger and plan on doing so. I want to do something with my life that will make a lasting impact on the world around me and do not want to waste any time doing something that will not be good for others. My mom immigrated here when she was young and I would love to make her proud. If I was lucky enough to win a scholarship, I would use it towards funding for college, which is very important to me!

Education

Park School Of Buffalo

High School
2010 - 2022
  • Majors:
    • Graphic Communications
    • Marketing
    • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
  • GPA:
    4

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Majors of interest:

    • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
    • Graphic Communications
    • Business/Commerce, General
    • Marketing
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Marketing and Advertising

    • Dream career goals:

      CEO

    • Hostess

      The Italian Village Restaurant
      2020 – Present4 years

    Sports

    Badminton

    Club
    2018 – 20202 years

    Research

    • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other

      Intern
      2021 – 2021
    • Marketing

      The Park School of Buffalo — I independently research the struggle marketers face when it comes to generating traffic
      2021 – Present

    Arts

    • Independent Artist

      Drawing
      2015 – Present
    • The Italian Village

      Graphic Art
      2020 – Present
    • RedBubble

      Illustration
      2021 – Present

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      The Park School of Buffalo — Set-up Volunteer
      2021 – 2021
    • Volunteering

      The Park School of Buffalo — Sophmore Class Vice President
      2019 – 2020
    • Volunteering

      The Park School of Buffalo — Senior Class Vice President
      2021 – 2021
    • Volunteering

      The Park School Summer Camp — Volunteer Counselor
      2018 – 2021
    • Volunteering

      The Park School of Buffalo — Shadow Ambassador
      2015 – 2020

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Entrepreneurship

    Mirajur Rahman Self Expression Scholarship
    Susy Ruiz Superhero Scholarship
    My advisor and Spanish teacher has helped me pursue a higher education by never giving up on me or any other student. She is constantly taking time out of her day for her advisees and students, despite having children of her own to worry about. She pushes us to have one-on-one talks with her to see how we are doing and provides us with her advise. She has helped me find my voice within the classroom by making me feel as comfortable as possible. She has the most amazing heart and is always doing things for others, which inspires me and I look up to. She organizes community service for my class and encourages us to give back to the community, which is what I want to do once I achieve a higher education. She has influenced me more than any teacher can and has made me think deeply about what life means and how important it is to give back if you have the privilege. She has helped me pursue a higher education because she keeps my head up and encourages me to never settle for less. She believes in all of her students and creates a connection with them that is unmatchable by anyone else. She works so hard every day and even works two jobs in order to provide for her family and for her students. She wants her class to succeed in life and she will do whatever possible in order to do so. She analyzes what each of us want out of life and will make sure that we get there. She has written essays for me for scholarships so that I would be able to afford obtaining a higher education and constantly spends all night working on these sort of things. I have been so appreciative of all of the hard work that she has done inside and outside of the class. My advisor, teacher, and friend, has made such an impact on me and has helped me realize my full potential. With her guidance and kindness, I feel like I am able to reach to the stars in regards to my education. She pushes me to work hard, while also maintaining a social balance, which is something she knows I lack. She wants me to have a work-life balance so that I do not burn out in the future, which has helped immensely. I cannot begin to even describe how amazing she has been to me and other and her help in achieving a higher education is something that I will never take for granted. Gracias Señora!
    Nikhil Desai "Favorite Film" Scholarship
    My all-time favorite film is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a Spider-man film that come out in theaters in 2018. This movie, while it may seem juvenile at first, due to the fact that it is animated, has left a lasting impact on me. Starting off, ever since I first watched the film when it first came out, I have not stopped thinking about how beautiful the animation is. I have watched an re-watched the film just so I can see the comic book effect that has been put in every scene. The animation team behind this had done an amazing job with the details and movements of all the characters and I cannot help but notice something new each time I watch it. I spend hours analyzing scenes of the movies, trying to replicate their work and figure out how they made everything look so pristine, but I am unable to duplicate it. I also love that the main character, Miles Morales, serves as representation for the African American community. I feel like it is extremely important for people of all ages and backgrounds to have someone to look up to, especially someone that they can view as a hero. Before this movie, there was never any attention put on Miles Morales, but after this, his name was everywhere. I even have the Origin Story Jordan 1's, which were based off of the Chicago's that he wears in the movie. This is just one example of how much Morales's influence has grown since the movie came out, even though he is a comic book character. I also love the fact that he is given more power than the Peter Parker Spider-Man, with his lightning-like abilities and organic webs. It gives more power to a minority group that is treated unequally.
    Ocho Cares Artistry Scholarship
    To me, being an artist means having more of a voice in a world where women are silenced. I can share my interests and hobbies through my drawings, no matter how small or large a piece is. I can represent the heritage of my immigrant family, who came here to escape the Jewish criticism they had to face in Russia. I am glad I can proudly represent them and all of the hard work they have done to provide me with a better life. I have uploaded a lot of my art on my Redbubble, samanthagianna, and even though the work on the site does not reflect much meaning, it is still a way to get people to interact with my creativity so I can then move forward to impacting the world. I am connected to my art because it gives me a way to express everything that goes on in my mind. It gives me an outlet for my anxiety and OCD, as it is one of the only things that calms me down. I enjoy doing small little designs to make people smile and I plan on building up my brand to share with the world, I just need to figure out a name first! While I am not well-known now at all, I have the support of my family to keep me going, which is very impactful to me. I am lucky to have the support system that I do and I am very appreciative of it. I want to make my family proud and I want them to feel like their struggles were worth it. I would love to have a career in art so that I can help support my family and loved ones, while also supporting others. I strive to make my art an outlet for others like it is for me. I want to leave my mark on this world, and I would love to do that through my art by any means possible. I have purchased some starter products to hand out to people to get more people interested so that in the future, I can leave a lasting impact. I want to create change by making people smile and laugh. I tend to take everything so seriously that I forget to do that myself and I want others to be able to enjoy life, while also having a reminder that I can do that as well. My dream is to see the people around me succeed in life, and being able to provide a support system with my art would be extremely meaningful. Everyone faces issues that the world is unable to see and I hope to reach these people and allow them to find even the smallest amount of happiness.