Rodney Savannah, a senior at Crenshaw High School, excels in biology and captains the tennis team. His essay about overcoming poverty and his dreams of inspiring students from south Los Angeles won Zócalo’s first annual high school essay contest, netting him a $1,000 scholarship. Before visiting Zócalo to read his grand-prize work, he answered a few questions in the Green Room.
Q. Who is the teacher that had the most effect on you?
A. Ms. Harris, my AP biology and honors physiology teacher. She went to medical school, so she can give me insight on what I need to do to get in. So not only did she help me get into college, she will have helped me get into graduate school.
Q. What was the last great book you read?
A. Besides the Harry Potter series, one of my favorite books for English was The Kite Runner. It’s not like a great work of literature like Shakespeare, but it’s just a fun book about a kid who went through a serious thing in his life and how he was able to bounce back.
Q. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A. I started out wanting to be a scientist; I thought being in a lab would be cool. Then I wanted to become a basketball player, and now I want to become a doctor.
Q. What’s your favorite food?
A. I love the way my aunt made enchiladas when I was younger, with the cheese, the meat and a little cilantro.
Q. What’s your most prized material possession?
A. My iPod. Whenever I’m down or doing work or have any emotion I turn it on and listen to music.
Q. What would we find you doing at 10 am on a typical Saturday?
A. Just waking up.
Q. Then what?
A. Checking my Twitter account, then wash up and eat breakfast. But first, I always have to check my Twitter.
Q. If you could take a trip anywhere, where would you go?
A. I’d like to visit England. They speak the same language as us, but they speak it a little differently, and I’ve heard things about England that are cool, and I’ve listened to a few English artists.
Q. How would your friends describe you?
A. Nerdy. I always have my AP Bio book. Maybe studious if they didn’t want to insult me.
Q. What superpower would you want?
A. To be like Mystique, the blue lady from the X-Men. She could just change into anybody. So many pranks I could do.
To see Rodney read his award-winning essay, click here.
*Photo by Aaron Salcido.