SNAPSHOTS

Two things you can’t live without: Family and crotchet 

Biggest fear: Succumbing to my self doubt

Worst habit: Biting my cuticles

Last show you binged watched: “New Girl”

Something you love: Tea

ZOOMING IN

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

A: “I’m attending the University of Pennsylvania in the Wharton School of Business and I intend to study finance.”

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

A: “I’ve been involved in a few. I’ve been in orchestra since before high school, I play the cello. I’ve been in there since the sixth grade. I’ve also been in Academic Decathlon, Interact, and super fun community service organizations at Lewisville: Black Student Union, Mu Alpha Theta and JWAC.”

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

A: “It’s definitely time management. I think especially with junior year coming back from COVID-19, it was to the point where I was like, ‘We’ve been isolated for so long.’ Whenever I came back junior year, I wanted to join everything I had an interest in, I wanted to try to explore. Junior year is the year where you devote a lot of time to academics. I remember having clubs and then going home and doing homework until midnight. So I definitely think it’s super worth it in the end to find the sweet spot between extracurriculars and academics, but time management was definitely something that I faced a lot.”

Q: What class was the most challenging for you? Why?

A: “I think the most challenging class is an elective, Academic Decathlon. It’s a series of different subjects. You have your cooperative class to be able to have speeches, interviews and essays. So with those, it’s definitely kind of eye opening. I think the good thing about Lewisville is the classes we offer. If you find the set of courses you feel comfortable with, you can keep developing that interest. With Academic Decathlon, I was putting a lot of time and effort into studying chemistry, which I’m not a really big science fan. So Academic Decathlon really pushed me to get better at the things I didn’t really look at because I wasn’t as interested in other courses.”

Q: Who has helped you the most throughout these last four years? How have they helped you?

A: “My older sister Destiny. She has helped me so much throughout these four years of high school, she’s two years older than me, she attends UNT right now. Having her as this guide, I remember every time every year throughout high school, whenever they give you that sheet to look at the classes you’re supposed to take, I would always show her first and say, OK, what classes should I take? What teachers are good? What did you prefer?’ Just to get a rundown because I always look up to her. I feel like she’s this wise figure that kind of knows everything even though she’s a student herself. I feel like she’s really gotten me through high school.”

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

A: “The most memorable parts were the ones with orchestra. I think because I surrounded so much of my life in orchestra, and it was so easy to remember. I remember every year we spent doing UIL, I remember my first year getting sweepstakes for my freshman year. We were on the bus and seeing everybody’s reactions, because it’s a small space and everybody’s yelling was loud. That’s definitely one of my favorite moments. I think all the socials, all the activities, the concerts that we’ve done, I think everything started with orchestra, and it comes to mind whenever I think about high school.”

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

A: “I would tell my freshman self to just chill out. I think she was probably trying to not fit in, but trying to see where she would lie. I would just tell her to try not to force it. Just relax and let things come to you or have a genuine eye out for things. Don’t join something just because you think it looks good and join because you know in your heart you feel that you want to join.”

Q: What are you most excited about regarding college?

A: “I’m really excited to be studying in Philadelphia. It’s a pretty big city. The school I’m in is kind of outside of the city, so I have kind of the mixture of the typical college campus but also be in a large city. I think also being quite far away from home is another thing. I’ve never had the intention to stay in Texas. My whole life, I’ve always said I’m going to leave the minute I have the opportunity to, so it’s just to have an experience to have these next four years of my life. A new era.”

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

A: “A specific career, I’m not too sure, but I really want to help others the way I wished I was helped. I’m first generation low income, so with finance and analytics, I would like to help lower the kind of wage gaps and disparities within certain groups and be able to create something to help fellow first generation or low income students. Or just students in areas that don’t have the correct or proper resources with finances in high school or just any type of schooling in general. I want to provide people with the opportunity to flourish.”

Q: What would you change about your high school experience?

A: “Honestly, not much. I think I’ve been really lucky to have such an amazing four years. I think I’m so lucky. Honestly the people I’ve surrounded myself with are so amazing. The teachers I’ve had were phenomenal. I feel like I had a really good four years.”