Eleanor Bogart-Stuart, staff writer
Highlights staff writer Lolita Gorbacheva will take her final steps at Beverly Hills High School as a Norman today, transferring to Nordhoff High School in Ojai, Calif. to pursue tennis.
Nordhoff High School, which is a boarding school, specializes in fitness, particularly tennis, which is Gorbacheva’s passion. Gorbacheva and her family chose to transfer to Nordhoff largely because of their renowned year-round tennis program. She hopes to go to college on scholarship for the sport. Gorbacheva also plans to return home for the majority of weekends.
How does one describe Lolita Gorbacheva? Tennis star? Dedicated journalist? Gregarious partier? This Renaissance woman is not only measured by her talent and her personality, but also by her impact on the Norman Nation.
“I’m going to miss how committed she was to both tennis and school. She’s always super dedicated to whatever she’s a part of,” junior Tara Shooshani said.
But tennis isn’t her only passion. Gorbacheva has grown over the 2014-2015 school year to be an invaluable member of the Highlights team, a skilled and driven reporter.
“Lolita’s stories continue to impress me. I’m really sad I won’t get to read anymore of her work,” sophomore Nate Anavim said.
Despite Gorbacheva’s extracurricular achievements, her biggest contribution to Beverly, in the mind of this reporter, is her simple and happy soul. Her claim to fame as a Norman is her ability to light up any room she’s in. Whether it’s innocent anxiety over a test, conversations at light-speed in Russian on the phone, or infectious giggling, Gorbacheva’s presence is known.
“She’s an absolute joy,” co-editor-in-chief of Highlights Jackson Prince said. “Lolita is a break from the tension and the tremors of everyday life. She’s fantastic. We’ll miss her here.”
How does one describe Lolita Gorbacheva, a girl for which it is impossible to pin down to mere words? Although one cannot exactly describe what she’s got, one knows that she absolutely has it.
Highlights will miss her dearly, according to Gorbacheva’s staff and staff adviser.