Penn-Trafford girls tennis teammates dream of “sweep” in graduating class

By: Shawn Annarelli
Friday, September 27, 2019 | 7:20 PM

Ruby Chen has two part-time jobs, plays two instruments, volunteers at Forbes Hospital, is on the tennis team and still finds time for one of the fullest course loads at Penn-Trafford.

With everything packed into each day until a self-set midnight deadline, she ranks No. 1 academically in her senior class.

Joined by tennis teammates Sofiya Bidochko, Haley Aiken and Claire Hartung, they make up four of the top six seniors in Penn-Trafford’s academic rankings.

“I’m not surprised at all,” Chen said. “Sofiya, Claire and Haley are really hardworking, too. They all study a lot.”

Chen will pursue a business degree in college, most likely with a focus on her interest in analytics or economics.

She is driven academically, in part, because her parents didn’t have the opportunity to attend college.

“They really stressed that I would have opportunities that they didn’t, so I’ve just always tried my best in school,” Chen said. “It just happened that through my course load and how I was performing in each class that I ended up at first. A lot of things can happen senior year, so that could change.”

No. 2 Bidochko is naturally curious and “isn’t satisfied” until all of her questions are answered.

“I think it’s just prioritizing time and sacrificing what is not important to you for what is really important,” Bidochko said. “You have to give turns to one thing at a time, and the coaching staff is really understanding of how hectic our schedules can be.”

She has two goals her senior year: continue to build a foundation to study molecular biology in college with the hope of saving people who are fighting cancer and launching a new school club.

“I think for a long, long time women have been underrepresented in the STEM field, and women and girls might feel shy about going into the sciences” Bidochko said. “The Women in Science club was created to have a comfortable atmosphere for girls who want to try different topics, and we can bond over our interest in science.”

Aiken and Hartung were the first members to join the club this week.

Hartung enjoys science and math, and her favorite subject, chemistry, is where her interests meet in the middle. She wants to be a pharmacist and is ranked sixth in her class.

“I can’t say I’m shooting for the top spot,” Hartung said. “I want to push myself to do what I’m capable of, but it would be cool if one of us got the top spot. We’re just happy for each other.”

No. 3 Aiken wants to study biochemistry, attend medical school and be a psychiatrist. Her appetite for knowledge means she won’t mind the long journey to pursue her passion.

Four teammates in the top six is impressive, Aiken said, and she believes they have the ability to sweep the top four spots.

“I think we’re all just doing our best, and we’re definitely not out to get anyone,” Aiken said. “This is really just how it happened so far. It would be really cool (for all four of us) to sit next to each other at graduation, and we all give speeches, because we are such good friends.”

Tags: Penn-Trafford