JACKSON TWP — When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world, Autumn Zacherl was in sixth grade.

And she used it to her advantage.

“It definitely forced a change of pace in life, and it was difficult for me like it was for everyone else,” Zacherl said of the pandemic. “But I wasn’t going to let it control my day.

“I just focused more on my studies. I’ve always loved to learn.”

Zacherl spent her additional alone time learning the Spanish language, a little Latin … It was around that time she established a goal for herself.

“I decided I wanted to graduate as valedictorian,” she said. “I’ve been challenging myself ever since.”

Zacherl graduated from Seneca Valley Senior High School this year with a 5.56 GPA on a 4.0 scale. She loaded up on advance placement courses — and indeed graduated at the top of her class.

AP physics, calculus, chemistry … She enrolled in 15 advanced placement, or AP, courses throughout her high school career.

You name it, she took it.

Kelly Weston has been teaching AP chemistry at Seneca Valley for 17 years. Zacherl took her course as a sophomore.

“All of those years, I’ve had maybe 10 total sophomores take that class,” Weston said. “It’s always juniors or seniors. Autumn didn’t bat an eye. It was a challenge for her, and she never backed down from a challenge, especially academically.”

Weston also was in charge of Seneca Valley’s Junior Academy of Science program, a competitive academic activity statewide. Zacherl competed in the regional at Slippery Rock University her sophomore and junior years, winning both times.

The regional competition consists of a 10-minute presentation in front of the students’ peers and evaluators. Zacherl went on to the state competition at Penn State University and “did very well,” Weston said.

The teacher explained that seniors generally do not join the competition because it takes place toward the end of the school year.

“Seniors have a lot more to do at that time,” Weston said. “No doubt, Autumn would have done well again.”

Besides academics, Zacherl played flute in the high school band, played on the tennis team, was a member of National Honor Society, served as vice president of student council her junior year and was co-president of the Science Honor Society at Seneca Valley.

“I never felt overwhelmed,” Zacherl said. “I had a social life in school, time with my friends.

“They called me a nerd, though,” she added, laughing. “Each activity I did was a break from something else. That’s how I looked at it.”

Both of Zacherl’s parents are retired. Her father, Dale, was in chemical engineering. Her mother, Christy, was a nurse.

Zacherl plans to major in biochemistry at Columbia University in New York. Columbia is ranked as one of the top 10 academic universities in the country.

“I have my eyes on designing medical equipment,” she said. “That would be exciting. But I’m not sure what direction I’m gonna wind up going in just yet.”

While Zacherl spent plenty of time doing homework, her father described her mind as one “that soaked up everything it took in.”

Her parents learned years ago that Zacherl has synesthesia — not a medical condition, but one in which the brain routes sensory information through multiple unrelated senses, causing one to experience more than one sense simultaneously.

People find synesthesia useful in aiding the learning process and remembering information. They can taste words, so to speak.

“I can’t even describe what it does or how it works,” Dale Zacherl said. “But Autumn associated letters of the alphabet with colors at a young age. Her brain could process a lot of things. She’s always been that way.

“When Autumn wants to accomplish something, she finds a way. She doesn’t quit until she gets there.”

Her father used Zacherl’s flute playing as an example. She started off in Seneca Valley’s lower-tier band as the No. 6 flute her freshman year.

“She decided her goal was to become No. 1 flute in the top-tier band,” he said. “Her junior and senior years, that’s exactly what she was. Whether something comes easy to her or not, when Autumn wants it, she gets it.”

Zacherl maximized her time in school, hitting the books during study hall, even studying during lunch. Many of her AP courses included watching videos and doing online assignments.

“AP physics was the toughest,” Zacherl said. “That was hours of work every night. But learning has always held my interest. I’m looking forward to Columbia and the new challenges that await there.”

Weston looks forward to Zacherl’s return to Seneca Valley.

“That girl is a leader, a go-getter,” Weston said. “I know she’ll be back here one day through our alumni program, speaking to students. She’s going to go on to do great things.”