What activities do you participate in here at Granville High School?
I do a lot of running, all year round with XC, indoor, and outdoor track. I am also part of our math team, and a prospective member for the academic team (if the track schedule allows). I play bass clarinet in our wind ensemble and am a member of Blue Steel.
For a lot of sports and activities, running is seen as a punishment. In Cross Country, running is all you do. Do you actually enjoy running?
It depends on the day. I already said I run pretty much year-round; running is a hard thing to enjoy all the time. Some workouts I’m out there feeling like I am literally flying, every step feels amazing, freeing even. I feel fast and powerful. Other days, however, my legs are limp noodles. Every step is a battle and all I want to do is stop running, but those are the days that matter. If you can push through your worst days, break past your limits, then your best days will feel that much better. I will say this, though: I enjoy running with my friends. I love cracking jokes with my teammates on long runs, or in between reps in a workout, or at pasta parties. The number of inside jokes and callbacks we’ve accumulated over the years is absurdly high; for some reason they’re funny every time. My favorite thing about running, the reason I’ve stuck with it, is my teammates.
How has participating in Cross Country changed your High School experience?
Running cross country has entirely changed how I approach high school. The team atmosphere is amazing. When I joined, my teammates made me feel like I belonged, and it helped to build my self-confidence. It gave me a sense of structure, and taught me the value of discipline and hard work. To this day, I still try to apply the same mindset to my daily life. Freshman year, I saw my upperclassmen teammates embody these values and I strived to be like them. Now, I do my best to lead the freshman in the same way.
You have been a member of Granville High School’s highest music ensemble for all four years of your high school experience. What advice do you have for underclassmen who want to have success in music here?
Have fun. I get that music can be frustrating and stressful, even daunting at times, but you’ve got to think back to why you joined band/orchestra/choir in the first place — it was probably because you love to make music and have fun with your friends. If you don’t lose sight of that, you’ll be just fine.
Most people in the GHS Steel Band only do one of the two groups, but you play in both. Why do you enjoy Steel so much?
To me, Steel Band is a place where I can relax, where I can joke around with my friends (shout out Cello-Guitar section) while also having fun making music. I also just love learning to play new instruments; last year I decided to join both groups because I thought double tenor would be a new challenge to learn, something to take away from the sometimes repetitive nature of steel. I love Steel because I feel like I can be part of something larger than myself when playing it; it’s an extraordinary feeling to be in the middle of that amazing music.
What is the college search process looking like for you currently? Are XC and music things you plan on participating in at that next level?
I have applied to several colleges across the country (staying ahead of those Nov. 1st early action deadlines) that I think will challenge me academically. The most important aspect of college, at least for me, is its ability to set me up for my future. Don’t get me wrong, I love running and music, but those things are not the biggest factor in my college search. I will 100% keep running in college, whether it be on the university’s NCAA team (would need to drop some serious time for that to ever happen) or through a run club. The same goes for music. Right now, my free time is consumed by scholarship apps, I am trying to get as far ahead of the curve as I can.
