Rebekah Lescenski

A passion for helping others keeps her moving forward despite adversity.

Rebekah Lescenski has big plans to accomplish great things in life. But the end goal is not only her own personal success; she has ambitious plans to become a neurosurgeon so that she can give patients hope for a better future. She has already completed two prestigious summer internships at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. And it is her passion for her future career that keeps her working extremely hard academically to maintain her near perfect GPA.

Her strong desire to help can be seen in her athletic endeavors as well. Despite significant pain from tearing her MCL and meniscus in the first soccer game of her junior year, she committed to practicing longer hours so she could learn how to play through the pain and play effectively with a cumbersome knee brace. She became a smarter soccer player and her effort ultimately enabled her team to compete and win the State Championship. This year, Rebekah is playing through another injury—a fractured tibia this time—with her eye on the goal of helping her team get to regionals.

Committed to making a difference for as many people as possible, Rebekah looks for every opportunity to serve her fellow students and community. She volunteers as an assistant coach for the middle school soccer team, and she tutors a classmate with Down syndrome. This year, her school’s faculty assigned her the position of administrator over their Link program, which helps new students transition to the school. It’s the first time a student has ever served in the role. While her volunteer efforts go a long way toward improving the lives of others, Rebekah says they have just as much impact on her own life, keeping her committed to her long-term plans to make the world a better place.