Senior Lucy Frandsen balances a busy academic schedule, along with leadership roles, music, athletics, and service, earning her the reputation of an “academic weapon”. With a perfect 4.0 GPA and an impressive 16 AP classes throughout high school (including 7 this year), Lucy’s devotion to hard work and academic success is clear. As an AP Scholar with Distinction, since her sophomore year, and a state finalist for the Instrumental Music Sterling Scholar award, her accomplishments showcase both her intelligence and great talent in so many things.
Lucy works hard in and out of classes, holding leadership roles in multiple clubs. She is in the presidencies of both the Math Club and Model United Nations and serves as the vice president of the orchestra council. “One of the biggest tips I can think of is to pick things to do that you genuinely love,” she shares. “When you’re enjoying the activities you do and aren’t just doing them to fulfill a requirement, it’s easier to find the time in the day to get them done.”
To organize her time within her busy schedule, Frandsen swears by her detailed to-do list. This list has everything from her school assignments to church responsibilities. “I always have a note open on my phone with everything I have to do,” she explains. “I put all the details on it, from when it was assigned to when it’s due, and I put them in order of highest to lowest priority.” Another thing she mentioned that has helped her throughout high school is befriending teachers. “If you put in effort during class and be present, and show your teacher you respect them and want to learn, they’ll be more willing to help you out when you need it,” she advises.
One activity that takes up a lot of Lucy’s time is playing violin. Lucy has played the violin for a decade, performing in All State Orchestra for four years and winning top honors at the State Solo and Ensemble competition. She recently won Timpview’s Concerto Competition and performed her piece just last week. “Playing the violin has always been a release for me from the stress of my school life,” she says. “It has also given me this great community of musicians to belong to.”
In addition to her musical achievements, Lucy is an avid mountain biker and has competed on the Timpview team since seventh grade, racing varsity this past season. One of her top performances was her sophomore second place finish at state. However, the sport has also brought challenges. “I have super severe eosinophilic asthma, so I’ve had to miss a lot of practices and even races,” she shares. “It’s always discouraging because it prevents me from performing my best, but I’ve learned to be adaptable and be happy with the best I can do despite my asthma.” Another thing she is involved in is volunteering twice a week at the Community Resource Center. She works in the reading tutoring program which helps third graders who are below their grade level learn to read. “It’s been super fun and really fulfilling,” she says, “It’s a great way to become part of and contribute to the community.”
Frandsen has had a very impressive high school career, but her accomplishments don’t stop here. She plans to attend BYU and double major in economics and mathematics, with the ultimate goal of earning a Ph.D. in economics. “I want to work as an economic analyst for a company and conduct research on behavioral economics,” she shares. The advice she gives to others is that “if you are willing to put in the time it takes, you really can do anything. All it takes is patience and dedication. There’s nothing you can’t learn or do if you’re willing to work for it.” With her amazing work ethic, leadership, and dedication to academics, activities, and service, Lucy Frandsen is a testament to what hard work and passion can achieve.
