SNAPSHOTS

Q: What color best represents your personality?

A: “I want to say navy blue, just because blue is one of my favorite colors and it can be complemented with a lot of things.”

Q: If you could meet any famous person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

A: “The first person that came to mind was Helen Keller. I think partially to see her in action and also [because] it’d be pretty inspiring to see someone with so many limitations succeeding in life.”

Q: What’s your go-to dance move?

A: “I don’t really dance much, but when I do it’s like a subtle side-to-side sway.”

Q: Who is your favorite movie character?

A: “I know Harry Potter is technically a book, but if we’re ignoring the book in a sense, I really like Harry Potter.”

Q: If you could live in any era, what would it be and why?

A: “There were so many limitations put [on people] during the Civil Rights movement. So like the ‘60s. I wouldn’t really want to be living through it all, but I’d also want to [see] all of it happen, like the empowerment of being around other strong females and individuals.”

ZOOMING IN

Q: What college will you attend? What is your intended major?

A: “I’m going to Texas Tech University. I’m majoring in psychology and I’m going to be a pre-med student. I’m really interested in being a pediatrician. I wanted to be a teacher to interact with children, but I realized it wasn’t right for me, but I still wanted to have that interaction with kids. As a pediatrician, you get to do a bit of both.”

Q: What extracurriculars have you been in throughout high school?

A: “I was in band all four years and I was in NHS from the end of sophomore year up until now. I’m also in AVID.”

Q: What was the most challenging aspect about balancing extracurriculars and academics?

A: “This is a pretty typical answer, but definitely time management. It’s been something I’ve had to get better at over time and I definitely have. Over the past four years, that was something I really struggled with.”

Q: What class was the hardest for you? Why?

A: “I think the first time I was put in a situation where I was actually really challenged was probably AP physics I. The course itself was pretty interesting, but it is definitely a pretty complicated subject.”

Q: Who has helped you the most throughout this journey? How have they? 

A: “So many people come to mind, but I honestly want to say all my friends. There’s been times where I genuinely have gotten to the point where I was looking for motivation, and they were always there to provide me with that extra push. [They] remind me of my end goals and just encourage me whenever I need it. I always appreciate that so much.”

Q: What has been the most memorable part of high school?

A: “Senior year is definitely taking the cake on that one. COVID has been such a big aspect of the past year in school. The most memorable part was seeing all my friends [and] myself be put in a situation where it wasn’t ideal for anyone, but we were all still able to stay connected and develop a stronger love and connection. We experienced a big moment. A pandemic is pretty serious and getting to experience that together just furthered our connection.”

Q: What things, if any, do you wish you had done differently in high school?

A: “I don’t think there’s very many aside from the time management aspect. Just realizing if I had figured out my time management a little sooner I could have spent more time on different things.”

Q: What advice would you give to your freshman self?

A: “As someone that struggled with my worth freshman year, I think I’ve definitely gotten a lot better at it now. It’s something I feel like I could have avoided in some situations in the past four years. I just wish I knew how much I’m actually worth.”

Q: What are you most excited about regarding college?

A: “I’m excited for the fact that I’m going to be [taking] new courses that are getting toward my career goal. High school gives you an opportunity to be in different classes and see other aspects of careers and getting to experience a little bit of everything. But now, as a senior, I’ve learned what I’m actually passionate about and I’m excited to go into courses where I’ll be learning things I’m interested in.”

Q: Where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years?

A: “I think this is a broad thing to say, but I hope whatever I’m doing, I’m just happy. In a more detailed sense, I hope I’m in a place where I’m figuring out my career, especially since I want to do pre-med.”