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Future in a Word--Languages: ELIZABETH CHAO Says Her Faith Also Will Play a Role in Her careerMAINE SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL

Posted on: Sunday, 7 May 2006, 12:05 CDT

By Jamie Francisco, Chicago Tribune

May 7--Maine South High School senior Elizabeth Chao is uncertain about her life's path, but her interests are guided by her language abilities and her strong Christian faith.

"I'd like to study literature, political science and languages," she said. "I'm not sure which combination of majors and minors that would be, but I'd like to speak Spanish and Mandarin."

Chao, 18, of Park Ridge is still weighing her career choices, but her long list of activities and academic achievements has her well equipped to succeed in whatever she decides to do. She will attend the University of Chicago;a recent visit convinced her it is where she belongs.

A straight-A student with a weighted grade point average of 4.95, Chao belongs to a variety of campus clubs, including the speech team and the Spanish club. She is an all-star member of the Hawkette Drill Team. She received the Best of 207 award from Maine Township High School District, which recognizes academic excellence districtwide, and has received schoolwide high honors in several subjects, including foreign language. Chao is a National Merit Scholarship winner and a member of the National Honor Society. She also was designated an Illinois State Scholar by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, which cites the top 10 percent of high school graduates statewide.

During her school's Christmas break, Chao traveled to Juarez, Mexico, with her mother, father, younger brother and group of families from her church to build homes for impoverished families. During the trip, she was able to practice her Spanish, a language she has studied since the 7th grade.

"To go down there and see how I have so many luxuries I take for granted, it was eye-opening," she said. "I think having the experience and knowing there's another world out there is really influential."

Chao, a member of South Park Church in Park Ridge, said her Christian faith is an integral part of life.

"For me, having a relationship with Christ is the only thing that fills that hole and completes me," she said. "I feel like without that spiritual aspect of my life, it would be so much flatter and colorless. Sometimes it's hard for me to explain. I just feel it gives me a lot of hope."

jfrancisco@tribune.com

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Source: Chicago Tribune

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