Sasha Mashchenko is a current sophomore at CCS and is finishing up her first year on campus. Mashchenko was born in San Francisco, Cali., but moved to Charlotte, NC at the age of three due to her father’s job. She has two sisters, Daria, who graduated from NC State and now lives in Atlanta, GA; her younger sister, Sabina, is a current eighth grader at CCS. Mashchenko is raised by both her mom and dad. She also adores her pets, she has two dogs, a cat and a bunny! 

Throughout her academic career, Mashchenko has attended various schools in the surrounding area. She was not planning on switching schools at the time, but her family heard about the excellent education and environment that Carmel had to offer. Mashchenko attends a local dance studio where her coaches, who formerly coached the CCS high school dance team, alumni and current students share their experiences on campus. Mashchenko and her sister decided to look into CCS; however, the deadline for enrollment had passed.  She was unsure if CCS had a spot for her. Slowly, doors opened which led her to shadow on campus, interview and submit her application to join the Carmel family.

Mashchenko began her dance career at the age of three. Since then, she has been training and competing at Havilah Dance Company. She dances on a competition team that travels both locally and nationally to compete against various other studios. She shares, “Sometimes dance feels like a full-time job, but I’ve been doing it my whole life and have come to love the community that the studio has to offer.” Mashchenko spends her weekdays after school in the studio from 4-9:30 training and rehearsing for competitions on the weekends. She is currently working towards nationals with her team. Although she loves competing in any style, she shares that lyrical is her absolute favorite. 

A recent opportunity that Mashchenko had is to perform during the high school’s production of Anastasia which opens this week. The directors were searching for the perfect dancer to fulfill the role of the Ballerina. Sophomore, Sloan Pettus, mentioned to the directors that Mashchenko is the perfect dancer to fulfill the role. She shares how excited she is for opening night and to be a part of the amazing show!

Alongside the business of school and dance, Mashchenko enjoys being outside and soaking up every chance she gets to be in nature. Whether it’s hiking, walking or visiting new sites, she values her time in creation. She shares that her favorite place to travel is Washington to visit her grandparents and take time to hike through the mountains. She also loves listening to music, whether it’s country music or rap, she loves it all! Currently, her top artist and newest obsession is Noah Kahan. 

When asked about her favorite thing about Carmel, she shares, “The environment and the relationships made with teachers.” Her prior school experiences did not offer close relationships with teachers. She appreciates how fun the teachers make the learning environment, which allows her to learn the material interactively. A few of her highlights include homecoming with all of her friends and her J-term trip to San Francisco. She loved having the opportunity to see the city where she was born. Her mom was able to fly out and join her for an extended trip, allowing her to meet with family friends who still lived in the city!

Within her short time on the CCS campus, Mashchenko has been able to form many relationships with both teachers and classmates. Although she has made so many, a few individuals have stood out to her and helped her grow in numerous ways: “Ms. Muir-Taylor has made me feel more comfortable in the classroom and has helped me feel more confident in my capabilities in and outside of the classroom.” She also shares that her J-term chaperone, Marlin Mogusu, has also made a huge impact on her life, as she states “He has given me so much insight and advice on so many different things. It makes my day being able to say hi to him and have conversations with him.” Mashchenko has been able to meet so many wonderful friends throughout her first year, but she shares that Audrey Heasley and Merrit Livingston are two of her closest friends she has been able to get to know beyond the school halls. 

Mashchenko concludes by stating, “I have been to so many different schools, but none have given me the opportunities or friendships that Carmel has. I definitely plan to stay here the rest of my years and graduate!”