The first day I got my license I was driving my friend Aidan [and went before I should have while another car was still] on a one-lane bridge. Before I knew it, the whole side of my car was caved in and the side mirror flew off. I drove home, waiting to see what my dad would say, praying I wouldn’t get killed. As I pulled into my driveway, I saw my dad standing there, waiting. My dad stood there...

“I like Valentine's Day because you get to recognize people you love. Actually you get to eat a lot of chocolate! I went to Maggiano's with Erik. We have been together almost a year and a half. Our first date was a double date at the Cheesecake Factory but we didn’t really like each other or anything -- but we started liking each other there. I like him because he’s him. He’s just like me, ...

I started doing (longbow shooting) about two or three years ago. My dad started it for me as an activity between us. It’s fun because it relaxes me by clearing my mind of anything stressful, so I can put all of my focus on my target. Shooting the longbow does not take a lot of skill to do, but a lot of skill to master. I practice about two or three times a week. I shoot the arrow anywhere between 15...

“I’m in Preschool III, and I really enjoy it a lot. Three times a semester I have to teach a new lesson to the preschoolers, incorporating different school subjects. Like for ‘Under the Sea Day’ I had the kids measure sea objects like sea stars and stuff using sea shells. The kids really enjoy the lessons. I’m super social, and love to work with people. During my flex period I go and help th...

I can’t wait to graduate and make my way in the world. I want to go to The University of Pittsburgh because they have a great Neuroscience program. I became interested in neuroscience all because of a psychology course I took last year with Mrs. Dooley. I thought it was really interesting to learn about the brain and understand why it works the way it does. I really have my heart set on Pittsburgh...

“My father was a firefighter for 44 years. I joined 5 years ago. My father told me when I was joining it would be good for me,  because I would learn many valuable life lessons. When I asked him what kind of lessons, he said I would find out on my own. A lesson I learned quickly was that you need to be accepting of others. My chief told me on my first day, that I needed to leave all drama at the...

I started working on cars as a bonding experience with my grandpa when I was eight, but it turned into what I want to pursue with my life. I go to  tech for automotive now, and I am hoping to start my own company with the help of my grandfather. My grandpa has done a lot for me and I hope to make him proud. My grandpa has 35 cars, and as of now I have half of them running. He bought them when they weren�...

I kind of have a funky family situation. I actually had a teenage pregnancy and I live with my boyfriend and his family. So, we live with his mom. It’s me, him, his four other siblings, and then our little one, Tyler. He’s two. I mean it’s very different from what a lot of people are used to. It’s just something that keeps me going because I also suffer from really bad depression and anxiety....

I plan on starting at Montco because it’s close. After Montco I want to start somewhere else that is close and then maybe eventually I will go somewhere farther. I really want to join the National Guard. I am in ROTC. I want the benefits and saving money are the reasons I want to join the National Guard.

I am excited for the holidays because it gives me time to hunt. I usually hunt every Saturday, and I even took off a day of school for it. I’ve been a hunter for over four years and have improved over the last two. I’d practice my shooting and positioning when I’m hunting. I plan on continuing hunting after high school because it’s my favorite hobby. If someone was thinking of starting huntin...

One thing that has always made me happy is fishing. I’ve made so many true friendships through fishing, like my friends Tyler, Tommy, and Mat. It all started when I was really young and my dad would go away with friends on fishing trips. I begged him to take me all the time, so finally when I was four years old my dad showed me how to cast on a spinning reel, and I’ve been hooked ever since. It’s...

Something I struggle with on a daily basis is honestly being myself. I’m one of those people who needs everyone to like me, and I try to do anything I can to be the person that people like and want to be around. I try to be smart enough, and pretty enough and happy and social, and it can be exhausting. Sometimes that isn’t me, but rather the ‘me’ that everyone else wants to see. The thing th...

“Thanksgiving break is putting a lot of stress on me because all of the teachers are trying to cram in work before the break. I have very high expectations for myself and I think that I will think less of myself if I got a bad grade and I’ll think 'Why couldn’t I have done better?'”

“I struggle with balancing school, sports and spending time with my family and friends. It can be hard to get all my homework completed on top of playing multiple sports and having a social life. I take 3 honors classes, 1 AP class and also Spanish, so we get a ton of work that can be pretty hard. Rarely, but sometimes, it’s difficult to manage spending time with my family and friends and also...

"This is going to sound super cheesy, but I love making people happy."

"Coffee makes me really happy. If I don't have it it's not a good day."

In ten years I hope to be in another country helping at an orphanage, I’ve already done a mission trip in Guatemala and I’m doing one in Africa this summer. I just really like helping people.

"What would make me happy is being able to find the one special girl for me that I can spend the rest of my life with and not only be soul mates but also be best friends forever."

"Puppies make me really happy because they’re soft and fun to play with.”

"Sports are what make me the happiest because they let me release my emotions.”

"Succeeding academically makes me happy because it makes me feel accomplished that I can go to the college of my dreams. I want to be an engineer."

“What makes me happy is baseball (because I get to be bad at it every day), and also my two brothers, Evan and Derrick, because they’re my only two brothers that I actually like and if anything happened to them I’d be upset.”

“Playing music to help keep my anxiety levels down is something that makes me really happy, there has been a lot of stress in my life lately and performing helps me keep it down.”

“One of the things that make me happy is dabbing on amusement park rides with my friends. I did this recently with my good friend Gavin Wert, and we found out it’s a good way to get girls to talk to you.”

“Being around another person and going off of their energy makes me happy and when we have fun times together, just having a good time and making memories makes me happy.”

“What makes me happy is being with my friends and seeing other people happy, like when someone smiles in the hallway.”

“Hunting is really relaxing, fun, and I get to spend time with friends and family. Family is just a really big focus in my life cause they're there for me and I'm there for them.”