2025/26 WINNERS

TINA STRENKOVÁ

Gymnázium in Stará Ľubovňa, Slovakia

4.0 unweighted GPA
Works at City Council as moderator
Plays floorball competitively

LIANA VAJDÁKOVÁ

Business Academy High School in Bratislava, Slovakia

Member of Divé Maky, organization for talented Roma students
Ran Track & Field competitively

SOFIA PENJAKOVÁ

Gymnázium in Ružomberok, Slovakia

4.0 unweighted GPA
Class President, Active in Robotics Club
Nationally Ranked Swimmer

CURRENT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

ESTER PETRÍKOVÁ

Gymnázium in Stará Ľubovňa, Slovakia

4.0 unweighted GPA
Class President
Dances Latino and Folk dance

DANIEL DZURIK

Pedagogy High School in Košice, Slovakia

Member of Divé Maky, organization for talented Roma students
Talented barber
Plays for U19 soccer club

SOFIA BEGONJA

Gymnázium in Stará Ľubovňa, Slovakia

Excellent Grades
Speaks 6 languages
Class President

ANETA VOZÁROVÁ

La Lumiere School, La Porte, Indiana, USA

4.0 unweighted GPA
Loves horses: talented show jumper, Western riding

UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

TIMOTEJ KOPČA

Senior and full scholarship recipient at LEAF Academy, a top boarding school in Slovakia. In addition to LEAF, concurrently studies at Gymnazium Milana Rúfusa in Žiar to also earn a local diploma. Timotej is heading to a university in the United States or Netherlands.

4.0 GPA
Mountaineering and rock-climbing enthusiast
Environmental activist - founded a local NGO NEuTEC

PREVIOUS WINNERS

TAMARA ELIAŠOVÁ

Sports High School in Prešov, Slovakia

2022/2023 at La Lumiere High School in La Porte, IN

4.0 unweighted GPA
Talented tennis player and an all-around athlete
Received a scholarship to study a second year at La Lumiere

RICHARD POSPÍŠIL

Gymnázium Jána Papánka, Bratislava, Slovakia

Entrepreneur - founded his own company in CAD design for hydroponics
Interning at a medical device start-up
Won the inaugural Slovak National Parkour Cup

ROMAN VŠETIČKA

Dance Conservatory in Liptovský Hrádok, Slovakia

National Champion in 2021 in International Dance Organization (IDO)
Works with Návrat, non-profit helping children from orphanages
Member of Divé Maky – organization supporting talented Roma children

TOMÁŠ LAKOŠTÍK

Gymnázium Š. Moyzesa in Ružomberok, Slovakia

2021/2022 at Tehachapi High School in Tehachapi, CA

4.0 unweighted GPA
Entrepreneur and freelancer – owns his film production business
Winner of several national film competitions

JANA MALACHOVSKÁ

Gymnázium Terézie Vansovej in Stará Ľubovňa, Slovakia

2021/2022 at La Lumiere High School in La Porte, IN

4.0 unweighted GPA - very active in the community, very hard working
Member of Youth Parliament, Red Cross, president of student council
Talented runner

DANIEL MUCHA

Gymnázium sv. Františka z Assisi in Vranov nad Topľou, Slovakia

2021/2022 at Santa Cruz High School in Santa Cruz, CA

Member of Divé Maky – org supporting talented Roma children
Currently a student at LEAF Academy in Bratislava
Tutor for local children

SÁRA FIDESOVÁ

Gymnázium Š. Moyzesa in Ružomberok, Slovakia

2020/2021 at La Lumiere High School in La Porte, IN

Loves music - plays clarinet in an orchestra and occasionally also drums
3.83 unweighted GPA; wants to be a teacher
One of the best karate competitors in Slovakia. Also teaches kids karate

JANKA PLEŠKOVÁ

Gymnázium Mikuláša Kováča in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia

2020/2021 at Rockingham County High School in Reidsville, NC

Roma Education Fund (REF) scholarship recipient
Works with adopted Roma children – subject of a TV documentary
Loves writing - published author in a poetry series

NINA SEMJANOVÁ

Gymnázium Pavla Horova in Michalovce, Slovakia

2020/2021 at Shining Light Academy in Greensboro, NC

4.00 unweighted GPA with a strong interest in computer science
Working on projects in virtual reality and robotics
Enjoys art and sports – drawing, dancing, hiking, skiing

ROBIN BOŠKO

Gymnázium Terézie Vansovej High School in Stará Ľubovňa, Slovakia

2019/2020 at La Lumiere High School in La Porte, IN

One of the best BMX Freestyle riders in Slovakia
Excellent English, studied at English bilingual school for 1 year
Loves animals and environment – has a pet python at home

VIKTÓRIA KUBISOVÁ

Gymnázium Terézie Vansovej High School in Stará Ľubovňa, Slovakia

2019/2020 at Rockingham County High School in Reedsville, NC

University Scholarship Winner
Teaches English to kindergarten students
Plays piano, ukulele

ADAM LAZÍK

Gymnázium Š. Moyzesa High School in Ružomberok, Slovakia

2019/2020 at Elsie Allen High School in Santa Rosa, CA

Excellent, hard-working student with strong interest in physics, math and IT
97 unweighted GPA
Interested in IT and science entrepreneurship

ALEX SEMAŇÁKOVÁ

Gymnázium P.O. Hviezdoslava High School in Kežmarok

2018/2019 at Richard King High School in Corpus Christi, TX

Worked in a bookstore – loves reading, drama and arts
Plays piano, guitar, ukulele, violin; sings in a choir

DOROTA MORAVČÍKOVÁ

Gymnázium High School in Ružomberok

2018/2019 at Iowa High School in Lake Charles, LA

Participated at European and advanced to World Championships in dance
Interested in languages and creative writing

KRISTÍNA CINOVÁ

French bilingual Gymnázium High School M.R. Štefánika, Košice

2018/2019 at Mercy High School in Burlingame, CA

Speaks or knows basics of English, French, Hungarian, Russian, Roma and Slovak
Recipient of the Roma Education Fund scholarship

MATEJ UHRIN

Gymnázium High School in Ružomberok

2017/2018 at LaGrange High School in Lake Charles, LA

President of Slovak Alliance of High School Students
Participated in student politics such as Model United Nations and Model European Parliament

SILVESTER LORENČÍK

Gymnázium P.O. Hviezdoslava High School in Kežmarok, Slovakia

2017/2018 at Prarie View High School in La Cygne, KS

First person within his family on a college path
A talent for languages: learned the basics of six, and mastered four languages

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PETRA SEJKOVÁ

Gymnazium Dominika Tatarku High School in Poprad, Slovakia

2017/2018 at Kents Hill School in Augusta, ME

Graduated with a 4.2 GPA (weighted)
Started actively drawing and painting in the US

LUCIA NOVOTNÁ

Gymnázium High School in Ružomberok, Slovakia

2016/2017 at Ashland High School in Ashland, WI

Studying graphic design at university in Czech Republic
Participated with her high school team at World School U18 Championship Basketball in Limoges, France

ADAM BRČEK

Gymnázium High School in Ružomberok

2016/2017 at Paisley High School in Paisley, OR

Graduated with a 4.0 GPA as the honorary Valedictorian
Currently studying Physics at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University in Prague

PATRIK KURILLA

Gymnázium High School in Ružomberok

2015/2016 at Carolina Friends School in Durham, NC

Pursuing an International Business & Management Degree in the Netherlands
Completed a 6 month internship at a biopharmaceutical company Amgen, where he was subsequently hired for 4 months

MARTIN LUPTÁK

Gymnázium High School in Ružomberok

2015/2016 at Mesa Verde High School in Sacramento, CA

Studying Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining at Faculty of Information Technology at Czech Technical University in Prague
Previously a programmer at Technology Agency of the Czech Republic

ZUZANA SLEZIAKOVÁ

Gymnázium High School in Ružomberok

2009/2010 at Riverside High School in Durham, NC

Earned a Double master’s degree from CEMS at The University of Economics in Prague and International Management at Wirtschaftsuniversität in Vienna (2017)
Strategy intern at Adidas Hong Kong (2017)

TERÉZIA JAROŠOVÁ

Gymnázium High School in Ružomberok

2008/2009 at Ashland High School in Ashland, WI

Bachelor’s degree at The Hague University, amongst top 5% of the class
Most recently earned a Master’s degree in International Business at Krems University, Austria
Since 2014 working at Neulogy Ventures

ZUZANA PETROVÁ

Gymnázium High School in Ružomberok

2007/2008 at Northern High School in Durham, NC

Had top GPA in class in high school
Master’s degree in Law from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia (2014), graduated in top 5%
Most recently earned Juris Doctor in Law from Comenius University (2017)