You can only have one: Rose’s caramel corn, an ice cream cone from Jersey Junction, or a Yesterdog. Which do you choose?
Jersey Junction! With either play dough or cake batter ice cream.
What are your plans after graduation?
I will be attending University of Michigan and majoring in engineering.
What have you learned in East that will enable you to be successful?
I learned to take advantage of all of the opportunities that are available to you. At East, we are lucky to have such a wide array of classes, sports, and clubs available to every student, and taking advantage of these might be pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, but in the end they are worth it. At East, this could be taking a hard math class, learning new languages, or pushing myself in a sport. All of these activities allowed me to find my interests, make new friends, and grow as a person.
What were you like in school?
It depended on the class, but for the most part I was very quiet. However, once I’m with my friends, I’m very talkative and outgoing!
Did you have a favorite teacher or class?
I know it sounds cliché, but it really is hard to pick a favorite teacher at East because they are all so great and really do care about their students and helping them succeed. However, Mrs. Carlson and Sra. Mercado-Blackport made learning the material so much easier, and I really enjoyed their classes.
If you had to choose one moment in one location to serve as the signature moment of your East school experience, what would it be?
Winning our lacrosse game against Rockford last year on Memorial Field. After losing in triple overtime a few weeks earlier, we were excited to play them again on our home turf. The stands were completely full, which never happens for a girls lacrosse game. We felt so supported by the entire community. After winning, most of our team slept on Memorial Field that night. We bonded as a team and celebrated our big win. The public safety officers on duty parked their cars around the stadium all night, keeping us safe and again supporting us. The next day at school, everyone was congratulating our team, and in these moments I knew I was apart of such a one-of-a-kind, supportive community.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you were younger?
Don’t be afraid to go all in!! As a kid I’ve always been pretty shy, and I wish that I had been less afraid to reach out to others when I was younger. Recently, I haven’t been scared to reach out, and I’ve become really close with so many great people and I’ve made so many great memories.
Who from East do you think you’ll stay in touch with in the future?
I will definitely stay in touch with my closest friends, some of which I have known my entire life here at East!
What advice do you have for young East kids?
Go to every event!! Whether that’s stopping by a sports game for even 15 minutes to see or cheer on your friends, or going to a dance with a group of friends, at the end of your high school experience, you will most likely never regret getting out, but you may regret holding back.
Bonus question: What are you glad we didn’t ask you about?
What I regret about high school or my least favorite memory! I don’t think I’ve had really a bad experience here at East.
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