So, I found out I won because the school district, St. Louis Park, had it in a newsletter. Um, and so a friend of mine screenshotted it and said, "Hey, like you're the you're the winner." And I was like, "Are you serious?" I was like, I
went and I Googled it. I was like, "You can't be real." And it was real. Hello everyone. I'm Dr. Pel Cooper, assistant superintendent of St. Louis Park Schools and welcome to another Park Pride podcast. I'm here with the St.
Louis Park alumni, graduate of 2025, also one of 161 US presidential scholars and a thespian. Please welcome Julia Lorenzen to the
Park Pride podcast. Welcome. >> Hi. It's good to be here. >> Yes. Thank you so much. So, to kick this off, tell us a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up and your family? >> Um, well, I was born in Minnesota. Um,
I've lived in St. Louis Park my whole life. Um, yeah, I'm I'm from St. Louis Park and um I went to Park Spanish immersion. >> Okay. >> Um,
>> yeah, I was at PSI. I've been at St. Louis Park for for all of my like primary and secondary education. And then now, um, I'm at Binmar College, which is right outside Philadelphia. Okay.
>> Yeah. >> So, you're joining us from Philadelphia right now. Now, just do you have any siblings? Tell us about your family a little bit. >> Um, no, I've got no siblings. >> Okay. >> Um,
uh, my family was something that I I wrote about and I talked about a lot in my um, scholarship application. Um, my parents got divorced when I was really young. Um, and then when I was 13,
unfortunately, my mom passed away. Um, so I've been living with my dad since then. And yeah, I mean, I guess you've got kind of like an untraditional family. Um, but yeah.
>> So, you wrote a lot about your family, so it must be something that inspired you and pushed you to get to where you are today. Yeah, I would I would say so. I think um it just I was put in in a a situation
that that not a lot of people experience. I didn't know anyone else in my community that that had, you know, a single parent. I felt well I mean that's not true but a single dad for sure
>> and um having experienced like the loss of a parent that's not something that is a very like typical experience um in like middle and high school. And so um I think it it like pushed me in a lot of
ways and and is part of you know why I am like who I am now. Yeah, it it it definitely sounds like it gave you strength and determination uh to push through as um I can empathize. You know, I' I've lost both of my parents as well
and it's something that is a motivation and something that pushes you along the way. So, let's start from the beginning here. So, you start off here in St. Louis Park Public Schools. You've been here your whole life. You started at BSI. Who was your principal? you
remember your principal and some teachers that's that you remember during that time? >> Yeah, I mean the principal Senor Muslowski, I think he's still there. >> Yes, he is. >> Um, >> yeah. And yeah, I I I think I remember I mean most
of my teachers I I loved it. I had I had Senorita Joiner for kindergarten and she and she and I actually went to the same hair stylist which was really funny. And um yeah, I mean a number of the teachers
I had um for graduation, we got to go back and walk our elementary schools. And so it was really great. I got to go back to PSI. It's in a new building. And I was able to see some of the teachers. A lot of them um weren't there, but
yeah. >> Now, were you at Park Spanish Immersion in the current building it's in now? >> No. >> Okay. So tell a little bit about where was it at before us? for everyone knows. >> Yeah, it was at the central community center. So that's that's still how I
remember it. It's funny to me that it's in a new building now. >> Yeah. And so it's currently in the building I'm sitting in right now and this huge building that uh if you go to PSI PSI now parks immersion, it used to be Cedar uh Manor, another school, and
that plaque is still up there. So it's been a few changes throughout the history of St. Louis Park schools. So, um, so Principal Maslowski, who was still there, you remember him? And what what was a moment in your elementary, uh, experience that sticks out to you?
>> Um, oh boy. Um, I mean, I remember they used to give out these prizes called espanolimos, which was, um, they would have, you
know, teachers and admin listening in the hallways throughout the day for people that were speaking Spanish intentionally and like outside of class speaking Spanish with their peers. And so if you were like caught speaking Spanish, then you could you could win
this this prize for the week. And it was like a disco ball and a necklace. Um, and I just remember that being like like huge. I was like, everyone wanted one so bad. I don't know. I mean, I I certainly really wanted one. I don't know if I was willing to speak Spanish to get it at
the time. I was like, I don't really want to speak Spanish, but I really wanted a disco ball and a necklace. So >> I'm going to ask principal Meslowski if they still do that then. Thank you for sharing that. I'm going to let him know about that. So then you So you went through elementary and then you spent time here in the middle school, right?
>> How was middle school experience for you? What activities involved in? >> Yeah, I mean my middle school experience was definitely like marked by COVID that started like seventh grade was when we
had to like go online. Um, so it's kind of in a way like there's not much to say about my middle school experience just because so much of it was like online and virtual and hybrid and strange. But
yeah, I mean in middle school that's when I started getting really like more involved in band um and like music. Um, I think I did like one theater show. >> Mhm.
>> And then I was I was playing tennis for the school. Um, yeah, tennis and soccer. I was just kind of doing a lot of things. So >> So tell me about your acting. How how did that make you feel uh more involved in the community? And you did some
things in acting. That's uh pretty amazing. Talk about your your time doing acting in theater. Uh yeah, I well I acted for I think like one show in middle school and I definitely had a good time. Like I liked
the people and I like the environment but I'll be honest I was like that's enough. Like I did one show through like the theater program and then I did one semester of musical theater choir and I was like all right like I've done my
time there with acting and once I got to the high school that's when I started doing um like technical work. Um, I actually didn't join theater right away, which is kind of funny, but um, yeah, starting like the spring show my freshman year, I started working on
lights for the theater and I was doing lights and I was helping build the set and the props. And then by my junior year, um, I was the like co-head of set and props, so like building and
designing and painting sets and stuff like that. And then yeah, my senior year I was really lucky to get elected um thespian society co-president. Um yeah, and then I just got to be involved in in
like the theater community even more. >> And so, you know, I think of this a lot of connections that you're talking about makes me think about my son. My son uh in middle school, same experience, the pandemic and really getting into theater. And from my experience looking at it, the type of production that goes
on and the amount of work that takes place when it comes to putting on performance is incredible. Um, who were like your teachers during that time, your u in that group in your in your theater group that you just want to shout out and just mention like how
impactful it was for you and really seemed like it made you really feel included in the St. Louis Park community. >> Yeah. Um, theater was one of the like big um communities that I was involved in and um obviously like
um the like the whole like tech crew um like we come into the theater like 6:00 to 8:30 like we're there like at night. It's a very like community like I don't know like being in the school later at night is is kind of like its own
different feeling. And um our technical director um Don Roma I mean he was amazing. Um I think he's not there anymore. I think I think they got a new tech director but but Don I mean shout out Don. He was tech director for like
forever and ever. >> Um yeah. >> So what was the best show you remember working on that was just like you remember to this day was just so cool and fun. Um,
I mean, I think last year the whole set of shows that we did was was really amazing. Um, I'm definitely really proud of um last year's fall musical um The Wizard of Oz. That was really exciting.
It was so fun to like build the the sets for that and like um it was just such a technical show. So to have a hand in in like the technical elements was really exciting. But then I also was in the pit orchestra. So for the show itself, I was
in the pit playing drums. Um and that was a lot of fun for me just like to be able to watch the show and like really be a part of it. >> So not only did you did set but you also played instruments. So you were you really involved in music too?
>> Yeah. Um yeah, the band program was huge for my time at St. most park. Um I uh I'm a percussionist. Um but then I also was like looking for some more challenge. So at the end of my
freshman year I started picking up clarinet. Um so then I was playing clarinet with the with the band as well. So, I'd switch off um just depending on on like the pieces that we were doing and and if there was a section that
needed more more help or um just whatever would like suit the needs of the band. And I'm really grateful for for both of the band directors I had, Mr. Schmidz and Missheim, that they that they like let me do that. Um and yeah,
that they would like push me to do that. said that you decided to take on a challenge. So, you love to just take challenges on and it seemed like you don't like the the ordinary or anything that's just simple. You like challenges. What was your biggest challenge in high
school? >> Um, that's a good question. I mean, um, starting my junior year, I started doing PSO at the University of Minnesota. I was doing part-time PSO. Um, so I'd say
that was um I mean just kind of that whole experience was um >> talk a little bit more about >> some kind of challenge. >> How was what was that experience? What did you do in the program? >> Yeah. So I
had already been in a program called umpty which is the University of Minnesota's program for like accelerated youth mathematics. So, I had already been taking math classes at the U like
with other high schoolers um but like on campus and so I knew that um doing more classes at the U was something that I was interested in. So my sophomore year I applied um for PSO which is the
post-secary enrollment opportunities and got in um and so then I started taking classes part-time at the University of Minnesota. So I would go there for like
for example like the first half of my day like in the morning I would be taking classes there and then in the afternoon I would go to the high school. Um, and it changed it changed like year to year, semester to semester, but I think my junior year I was having my classes in the morning at the U and then
fifth, sixth, and seventh period at the high school and then my senior year I had first, second, and third at the high school and then in the afternoon I would go to the U. And it's just kind of I mean it I really enjoyed it. It was
worth it, but it's also like a lot to I mean, not just academically, but also to balance like, oh, I have to be here. I have this commitment. I have to go to class, but I also have a field trip for the high school. Like stuff like that.
>> So, it taught you a lot about making sure you balanced and and was able to monitor your time and have a good schedule and stay focused. A lot of things, a lot of great accomplishments. I love that you like school is not hard enough. I need another challenge. So, so
speaking of that, let's go to the next thing is how did you become one of 161 students to become a 2025 US presidential scholar? How did that happen? And talk a little bit about what that scholarship is or scholar.
>> Yeah. So, um first of all, you have to be invited to apply by the Department of Education um based on um ACT and SAT scores. There's also you can get nominated. Um mine I believe I believe
was based on my ACT score. Um yeah, it was nearly perfect. >> I got one question wrong in the science section. I'm not going to tell you what my scores were, so you keep going. >> Yeah. Um, man, that one question, but um
um so bring up a score spot for you. >> Yeah. No, I I got invited to apply at like the end of January. So, I had already submitted all of my college application materials, I think. Um, so I had I had all these essays that I had
written, all of this information that I had like crafted for my college applications and I get invited to apply and it they gave me a month to submit everything and it was
you know there were like three short essays, a short essay about a teacher that inspired you and then like a longer essay So, I was able to take a lot of the stuff, supplemental essays, common app essays that I had already written, um, and stuff that I had written about my
activities, my extracurriculars, and just kind of tweak them a little bit and like copy paste them. And then I needed the approval. I needed a letter of wreck from my my counselor, Miss Cosg Grove. And then I think I also needed the
application to be approved by the principal, Miss Paddock. And so I'm really grateful um Miss Cosg Gro, you know, responded to my email right away and was able to to craft what I'm sure was a great letter of
recommendation. I mean, it had to be. Um, and that, you know, Miss Paddock was able to approve the application and and send it through and that, you know, I had their their support for that application and
then it goes through the application goes through committee um and they have a series of selection processes where um there's semi- finalist, finalist, and then scholar.
um and I got notified that I had been selected as a semi- finalist um in March or April. Um >> Okay. So, how you feeling at that time? You've done all this work. It's March. >> Yeah. >> You find out you're a semi finalist.
>> What What's the How's your dad? How's everything going? >> Yeah, it was uh it was really exciting. I mean, just like to to even be like nominated to be asked to apply was was already huge and I was like, "Okay, like that's going on my resume." Um, and then
I something that I had been like thinking about and talking to like my college counselor about was on this application like how honest I should be because we were kind of thinking we were looking at
like the administration and in terms of like it's called the US presidential scholarship and we know who's was in office and I was like, if I write about my own experiences honestly
as like a woman, as a queer person, as someone with like with a family that is very much not traditional, like what's that going to look like for me? And are they going to like that kind of application? Um, and are they going to
say like, "Yeah, we want that person as like the presidential scholar." And what we decided was I didn't care. I was going to write about like who I am and I was my application was going to be really honest and if they didn't like it
I was like okay that's I don't care. So >> that's to see that yeah to see that I advanced I was like okay like they they didn't hate it like um I I was just kind of like amazed by that. Um, and uh,
yeah, I was I was really proud of course and and surprised and yeah, it felt really good and I was like, okay, like now like let's see what's next. Like I'm excited to see about finalists and um,
>> yeah. >> So now you find out that you're how did you first off, how did you find out that you became a finalist at that point especially? You didn't change who you were. If that's anything we can tell our St. Louis Park community and who we are is that you can show up and be your full
authentic self. And you carried that on when you did this application. I'm gonna be me. So, what was that like when you found out you're going to be a finalist all the way to the time that you won? What was what was going through your mind? >> Yeah. Well, it's strange. I you know the
invitation to apply that was I mean they sent it like via email like via mail like I got letters and stuff even for semi- finalists they said like I got like a letter in the mail and they said you know we'll announce finalists in May
and we'll announce the the winners in June. Well, May passes and I'm not hearing anything. And then like I graduate, I haven't heard anything. And so throughout the summer, every so often I'm like I'm looking at the website because they posted on the presidential
scholar website, too. And I was like, have they updated it? And for months like I would I wasn't obsessed but just like every I mean like once a month >> not not at all but I'm like I'm like I
want to know like I didn't get any communication no letters. I would look at the website and it would say like semi finalists are announced and I was like what's going on? So, at this point, they're like three months late to
announcing even the winners and they haven't even like said anything about finalists. So, I was like, "Okay." I thought I was never going to hear about them. I was like, "The Department of Education, they've got better things to do. Like, they don't have any money." I was like,
"That's okay. Like, I'll be a semi finalist forever." Um, and then at the end of September, the Department of Ed released a press statement with the winners. I didn't know this because I'm not following
their press releases, >> right? Because now you're in Philadelphia at this time, right? >> Yeah. At this point, I'm like I'm in college. I've moved in. Um, and then you know a week after that, the Minnesota Department of Ed releases their press
release that says that me and a student from Southwest, I think, were the two scholars from Minnesota. At this point, I still don't know because again, I don't follow the Minnesota Department of Education either. I'm I'm in college. I'm in Philadelphia. And so I found out
I won because the school district, St. Louis Park, had it in a newsletter. Um, and so a friend of mine screenshotted it and said, "Hey, like you're the you're the winner." And I was like, "Are you serious?" I was like, I
went and I Googled it. I was like, "You can't be real." And it was real. Um, so I was like, "Okay, well that's awesome." I still haven't gotten any any mail from them. I mean, I don't know what the Department of Ed is up to, but
>> So, not a phone call, not a letter, not an email. >> Nope. No. But I did. I mean, like after the fact, maybe a month after this press release came out, they called me and they said, "You need to update your contact information so that we have an
address to send your medallion to." I was like, "Okay, cool. Did you want to call me to let me know or Um, so yeah, the communication was all kind of >> was all kind of funny, but um,
>> so what did you So when you finally got the phone call about updating your information, what did you eventually uh receive in this out of this? You got a medal and what else that comes along with it? >> Um, I mean that's a good question. They they haven't sent it yet. Um, I know
just like from the website, um, that, uh, apparently I get like a a medallion, so I guess I get some kind of metal black thing. Um, I don't believe it comes with any like
money. It's not It's not a scholarship. Um, but yeah, it's I guess I get I get the title >> to keep for myself. I get to put it on my resume and I get hopefully what I'm hoping is a a very
nice medallion. >> Hey, first it is a very big accomplishment. One of 161 ever to, you know, for this year to get it. So, congrats on that and let St. Louis Park be the first to tell you
congratulations. I can't wait till you get the medal. You got to take a picture and send it to >> Yeah, >> you got to send it to us. Okay. Well, just we come to this point here. What is going on in life right now? You're in school in Philadelphia. What are you going to school for?
>> Um, yeah. I'm at Binmar College. I love it so much. Um, I am I mean I won't declare a major until until next year at the earliest, but right now I'm kind of
looking at studying math and I'm thinking also Spanish. Um, yeah, I don't know. I'm I'm enjoying my data science class right now. I'm really excited to take an intro to Latin American studies course next semester.
So, I mean, all we'll see. I don't I don't know exactly like what what my like path is going to look like, but I'm I'm really enjoying it. >> That's good. Please enjoy it. That's what it's about. You know, life is about these moments to enjoy. And one thing we
do here at St. Louis Park is we have a portrait of a learner and we talk about our students ascending. Ascend on to their greatness and once they leave St. Louis Park is to ascend and you are certainly doing that. Uh you did it while you was in St. part two. If you go back and look, what is one word of
advice you would give to students that that are in school now? Whether it's elementary, middle school, high school, you look back, what is one piece of advice you would give? >> That's a good question. I think like like find
like like find something that gives you purpose. Like um the I spent like the last two years at St. Louis Park only taking three classes at the high school. Like I wasn't
I chose to be involved in like the St. park community through stuff like theater and stuff like band. Um, and then later like the frisbee team and stuff like that. So like finding finding the things that like that like
bring you joy and that give you purpose like being part of something that's bigger than yourself. I think that was like >> that was where I like found my found my place at at St. Louis Park. And that was why like I guess like why I stayed. I could have done full-time PSO. I could
have not taken any classes at the high school, but I didn't want to do that because I wanted to stay in band class. I wanted to stay in Spanish class um and like stay within those communities and like still like be a part of the the
things that like that were like bigger than myself. Um >> that's yeah that's great advice. You know for students out here that are thinking I have to do this. It's the arts too that are very important. Band
all the things that you've done. St. Louis Park is extremely proud of what you've done and is continuing to do as you continue on. Not only are we proud, but I know your dad and your mom is extremely proud of everything that
you're doing. you have nothing to be worried about because that medal's gonna come and when that medal comes you take a picture and you send it to us but I really do >> I will >> I really do appreciate this time and a chance to get to know you Julia and I look forward to seeing you when you come
back here to the community you stop by your old elementary school right here in this building >> and I'm talk to Chris Mlowski to get you that disco ball. >> All right. All right. >> All right. Hey, well, thank you so much and thank you for joining this episode
of the Park Pride podcast. It's been a pleasure.