The Scotts Valley Times is pleased to recognize the Scotts Valley High School 2022 valedictorian, Yanni Larsen.
She gave a “Love them!” shout-out to her parents, Jørgen Larsen and Yan Cao Larsen.
Growing up on a bicultural household, which has been understudied locally, she produced a 40-minute documentary (directed by Winston Mattwandel), viewable at www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hE8D6_XHwE,
The Champion family — one of four families interviewed for Yanni Larsen’s documentary “Bicultural.”
The documentary asks: “Does living in a bicultural household truly impact a child’s quality of life? How does language change one’s cultural perception?”
The documentary, which features students and parents in bicultural households sharing their insights, was shown to all Theory of Knowledge and World Studies classes at Scotts Valley High School — and could go viral if it gets the right exposure.
Here she shares her activities at Scotts Valley High and her plans for the future:
I’m planning on attending Johns Hopkins University majoring in neuroscience or possibly molecular/cellular biology (pre-med)
Activities I was involved in at SVHS:
- SVHS Haunted House (grades 9-12), where I was a room head, tour guide, and costumes/props manager.
- SVHS Fashion Club (grades 9-12) as a model and fashion designer of my own line.
- Mock Trial (12th grade) served as the defendant.
- International Baccalaureate program, where I did activities such as a Self-Defense Program, where I taught self-defense skills to first- and second-year student physical education classes, and the Bicultured documentary.
What I enjoyed most about SVHS was the community. I fostered loving and meaningful friendships with others who helped bring me out of my shell and created unforgettable moments with others that shaped me into who I am now.
The teachers at SVHS are incredibly hard-working, caring, and intelligent, and I am very grateful for their guidance.
They are also some of the funniest and kindest people ever!