Monica Mleczko was born in Boston, Massachusetts as the oldest child of Polish immigrants. Her parents originally settled in Boston twenty years ago, but with no intention of ever letting their daughter forget her heritage.
Now a seventeen year-old rising senior in the Class of 2006 at Boston Latin School, Monica looks back on her many years at BLS with something between a cringe and a smile. She has challenged herself academically, and likes to think that she accomplished something on that front. The subjects of her toughest courses have become her favorites, and ones she plans to continue in college. Monica has always been very dedicated to her Dorchester community. She grew up involved in the local Boys’ and Girls’ Club. She has been tutoring at the Murphy School in a program called D.E.E.P since the ninth grade. D.E.E.P is a one-on-one tutoring program in which volunteers spend an afternoon after school with local Dorchester kids, helping them with homework and anything else that may come up. She has also been participating in the after school tutoring program at BLS for the past few years.
Monica is also extremely committed to the BLS Mock Trial team, which results in her spending long hours of practice and analysis with her fellow Mock Trialites. This coming year, she expects the more experienced team to step-up, and get farther than they had during the previous year. Although she is deeply saddened by the departure of one of their respected coaches, she realizes that they still have the potential to succeed. Monica is also a staff writer for the Argo, the school newspaper. She has worked on the Yearbook Committee, and hopes to be involved in the coming year, the year she finally gets her own. She is also one of the Vice-Presidents of Student Council and a member of the National Honor Society.
Monica is also part of the Cross-Country team. Her true love, however, is Alpine Ski Racing. She has been a member of the Gunstock Ski Team in Laconia, NH for the past five years, and to which she dedicates all her weekends 6 out of the 12 months of the year.
She believes that her years and experiences at Boston Latin School have brought out her determination, ambition, and even optimism. She hopes that she will be able to attend a college on the east coast, and continue pursuing her interests in the legal field. As a Ward Fellow, Monica is looking forward to meeting professionals whose work greatly intrigues her, reaffirming her own love of public service.
This summer, Monica’s sponsor is the Honorable U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris.