Q: What grade are you in?

A: I am in 12th grade at Salisbury High School.

Q: What is your favorite subject? Why?

A: My favorite subject would probably be science. I have always been intrigued by the way things work, but I especially loved anatomy and physiology. In that class, I was able to have a more hands-on approach with the way the body works because we did interesting dissections and looked at actual slides of body tissue through microscopes. Chemistry was a great class too because I love the science behind the periodic table. If I weren’t so interested in working with elementary students, I would definitely love to go into the science field.

Q: Have you received any special awards or recognition?

A: For three years I played tennis, I received a varsity letter and two varsity pins. In eighth grade, my biology class participated in PJAS which is the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science and I received a second-place award.

Q: Are you involved in any extracurricular activities?

A: I played tennis for my first three years of high school, but in my senior year, I was a little too busy. Now I play it recreationally with friends and family. I’m also in a lot of great clubs at my school such as No Place for Hate, Students Against Destructive Decisions, National Honor Society and Class Advisory. The club I am most active in would be No Place for Hate because I have been a member since my sophomore year and I have been involved in some pretty great activities that we worked on together to create a better environment for the high school.

Q: What is your next goal after high school?

A: After high school, I plan on going to a college or university in Pennsylvania to get a bachelor’s degree. As of right now, I’m leaning toward majoring in elementary education and minoring in Spanish. I want to work as an elementary school teacher (probably pre-k through second grade). Right now, I am interning through a program at Salisbury High School, where every day I am able to go to our elementary school noon to 3:30 p.m. and shadow a kindergarten teacher. It has been such a great experience and I learned that I love working with kids.

Q: What would you say your biggest challenge has been so far?

A: My biggest challenge has been time. In your senior year, it can seem really overwhelming because of college deadlines, but I have found a way to make it work. I wish there were more hours in a day because I would love to join more clubs and spend more time working with my community. Almost every day, I go from school to French class, to my internship, to work. Some days I leave my house at 7 a.m. and I don’t get back until 8:30 p.m. I manage that pretty well, but I also make sure that I’m getting my college applications and information in on time, which can be a challenge with everything that is happening in my life on a daily basis, but it will all be worth it in the end.

Q: What do you want to be remembered for?

A: I want to be remembered as the girl that made a difference. In my school clubs, I always try to come up with ideas that will make a difference for everyone. Recently, I bought a notebook of positive phrases with small tear-offs that people could take with them. I thought it was a great idea because the whole school would be able to see them and take a tear-off if they were feeling down. After seeing so many of them empty, I was so happy that so many people took the time to stop and grab a positive phrase for themselves, or to give it to someone else who might have needed it. My main goal in high school, besides getting good grades, was leaving a good story behind.

Q: Who is in your family?

A: My mom, Nichole, my sister, Valerie and my cat, Sherlock. My mom raised me by herself.

Q: Do you have someone you look up to?

A: I look up to my mom. She is a single mom with two kids, but she definitely did the job of both parents. When she had me, she was about halfway through community college, but it was too difficult with a baby to continue, so she worked at a desk job and stayed there until even after my sister was born. After raising two kids, she finally decided to go back to school for something she enjoyed. She wanted to show my sister and I that we should follow our dreams because it is never too late. She is a strong woman and I hope to grow up and make her proud.

Q: Do you have any advice for your peers?

A: My advice would be to have priorities. People can be so easily distracted by Netflix or a night out, but it probably won’t be worth it if you start falling behind in school. Right now, I am taking regular classes at Salisbury, a French class at Moravian College and I am working a part-time job. I still have free time and I do a lot of fun senior things with my friends, but I make sure school comes first because no one would rather go to a party than pass senior year.