At Gulliver, success isn’t one-size-fits-all, and for Valedictorian and National Merit Scholarship winner Elisa Tarac ‘26, that meant finding the academic path that best aligned with her intellectual curiosity, ambitions, and goals for the future.
This fall, Elisa will attend Amherst College, where she plans to continue exploring the intersection of chemistry, politics, and law; an interdisciplinary path shaped by the opportunities she pursued throughout her time at Gulliver.
Elisa, Gulliver’s Silver Knight Award nominee for General Scholarship, has built a remarkable academic career defined not only by achievement, but by a genuine love of learning. She challenged herself with some of Gulliver’s most rigorous coursework — including 15+ AP classes — and pursued advanced studies in both the sciences and humanities. She has consistently sought opportunities to deepen her understanding beyond the classroom, engaging in several extracurriculars and participating in internships with the University of Miami and an energy company that is expanding access to electricity in Sub-Saharan markets.
A member of our Model UN Team since freshman year and now President, Elisa developed a strong interest in international relations, policy, and law through immersive, discussion-driven experiences. At the same time, an unexpected decision to enroll in AP Chemistry during sophomore year sparked a passion that would ultimately shape her future academic plans.
“I initially really didn’t want to take AP Chemistry,” Elisa shared. “But I loved it. It was very difficult, but it was so rewarding because of that.” 
Her curiosity continued to grow through dual enrollment coursework, including Organic Chemistry, as well as research focused on anxiety, depression, meditation, and future-self thinking. These experiences helped Elisa discover not only what subjects interested her most, but also the kind of academic environment where she would thrive.
“I knew I wanted to study a mix of politics and chemistry, so I needed a place that would allow me to do that,” Elisa shared. “I found that liberal arts colleges worked well for me because I wouldn’t have to take gen ed credits and I could mix and match my majors how I wanted.”
Amherst is consistently ranked by Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges as “most competitive” — their highest category of selectivity. For Elisa, choosing Amherst reflected a thoughtful understanding of how she learns best: through close collaboration, meaningful discussion, interdisciplinary exploration, and strong relationships with professors and peers. The college’s small-class environment mirrored many of the qualities she valued most at Gulliver.
Throughout it all, Elisa says one of the most important lessons she learned was that success is deeply personal.
“I think success is doing what you set out to achieve,” she reflected. “It’s not really about what other people think. It’s more about your own goals.”
Her journey is a powerful reminder that achievement is not about following a singular definition of success, but about discovering the environment, passions, and purpose that allow each student to thrive. At Gulliver, students are encouraged to pursue their interests boldly, think across disciplines, and define success for themselves — and Elisa’s story is a reflection of exactly that.
