Some seniors have built small businesses—and reaped the profits

What’s Your Hustle?

Some seniors have built small businesses that have made them lots of profit.

BY GEORGE BERNARD, ’23 AND PARKER BADAT, ’22. GRAPHIC BY MOLLY HENCH, ’22.

After school, many students hit the books, go to a sports practice or hang out with friends. However, some seniors go work on a side-hustle. JT Schenk sold his fourth lionfish in early May. Doug Ryan, an up-and-coming landscape mogul, mows over 60 lawns a week. Zac Yoakam regularly visits the post office to ship out baseball cards that he has sold.

In his freshman year, Schenk bought his first freshwater fish after seeing a video on retailing various live bait and pet species.

“There was a buying opportunity out there, and we were looking to make some quick cash,” Schenk said.

Although he couldn’t disclose the details of his buyers, he has focused products on the most affluent families in the greater Columbus area. For Schenk, the aquatic retail industry has been fierce. At a local fish meet-up, the true risk of this business came to light.

“A guy tried to break into my car and steal my tank,” Schenk said.

However, although there’s a degree of danger in this business, Schenk claims the money has made it all worthwhile. “From selling fish, I have over $12,000 in my bank account,” Schenk said.

While aquatic acquisitions prove to be an adrenalized market, another senior is playing it more safe. Doug Ryan spends every day mowing lawns until the end of the summer months. In the fall, he performs leaf removal. In the winter, he plows snow for the city, and in the spring, he does it all over again. He works with over sixty different clients a week and has been able to operate his own crews for anyone in UA throughout the year.

For the high schoolers looking to make some extra money without sacrificing their sports or schooling, there’s another senior side hustle knocking it out of the park: baseball cards.

Yoakam purchases bulk quantities of non-fungible vintage baseball cards which, when individually separated, can be sold for thousands or just a few dollars. Yoakam uses his card trading as an alternative to an after-school job.

“It gets me enough money to do normal high school things like going to the movies or taking my girlfriend out to eat,” Yoakam said.

By selling individual high-value cards or sets including multiple more common cards, Yoakam is able to both grow his personal collection and make some passive income on the side. He claims that anyone can enter the collectibles business, but he forewarned against its pitfalls. “You have to actually enjoy collecting the things you’re going after, otherwise you’re going to fall out of it,” Yoakam said.

For students interested in entering the business world, Ryan has some advice.

“It’s pretty easy; you just have to hustle,” Ryan said. “You have to be willing to put in the work, and whatever you make, you have to put back into the company. If you don’t do that, you’re not going to be able to scale or even make money.”

Roads Less Traveled

Students find ways to explore their passions after high

school. BY ELLIE CRESPO, ’22.

Senior traditions serve as a sign to the 2022 graduating class that their high school career is nearly over. Busy schedules are marked with Senior Tag expeditions, graduation parties and senior breakfasts. By May, many students enroll in their college of choice, declaring which school will be their temporary home for the next four years. Some of these students spend their time proudly wearing sweatshirts with their college’s name displayed on the front and joining Facebook groups to discover their future classmates.

Other students, however, choose a path less traveled; they decide to dive headfirst into the pool of opportunities that are available to students who would rather take a different route than attend college. Whether they’re deciding to join the military, work for a small business or independently train in their sport, these unsung graduates have a different story to tell.

HANA BOYLE

When senior Hana Boyle was 7 years old, her mother, Miranda Boyle, opened the popular bohemian clothing boutique Thread. In the store’s infancy, Boyle would go to help her mom seam the clothes or simply stop by on Saturdays to visit. Sometimes, she would get the opportunity to pick out the clothes that she wanted to have brought in and sold.

“All those memories [are] my favorite,” Boyle said. “I thought it was so cool [having] my mom have her own store.”

As soon as she turned 14, Boyle started working alongside her mom as a parttime employee. Now, Boyle has decided to continue working at Thread with the ultimate goal of owning the store.

“I always knew I wanted to work at Thread,” she said. “When I decided I didn’t want to go to college, I started working more full-time, [and] they’d involve me more in business-making [decisions].”

Her passion for the fashion industry, combined with Thread’s positive environment, makes Boyle love her job.

“I love fashion, so I love looking at all the clothes and seeing everything come in, but I also just love everyone who works there and like the environment they create,” she said. “I just think it’s a very positive space to work, and everyone [wants] you to [thrive] in what you do.”

This past school year, Boyle got the opportunity to join her mom and comanager, Allie Nini, on a buying trip to pick out and price different clothing items to be sold at Thread. Attending these trips is just one of many duties that she will have as a full-time employee; on any given day, Boyle will open and close the store, run the floor and help with team meetings.

“I really hope with my first year that I can just get the hang of [working there] fulltime,” she said.

Boyle’s mom had a big influence on her decision to work at Thread full-time.

“I finally came to [her] and was like, ‘I really don’t think I need to go to college, [and] I just would rather start working fulltime,’” she said. “She was really supportive [and] really excited. I think she feels honored, kind of, that I want to go along in her footsteps.”

Boyle values the opportunity to start working immediately after high school in a field she’s passionate about.

“College will be there whenever you want [it]; college will never go away,” she said. “But [being] such a young age and being able to do what you love right away, [you] can’t get back.”

NOAH FREUD

Once Senior Noah Freud turns 18 this October, he will become a member of the park crew at Copper Mountain in Colorado. When he isn’t working, Freud will train in freestyle skiing alongside a coach with goals of competing in Crystal Globe competitions, earning sponsorships and ultimately going to the X Games or The Winter Olympics.

Freestyle skiing is a competitive sport which combines skiing and acrobatics. Growing up, Freud participated in grand slalom skiing—a form of skiing where the rider races down the slope while they dodge gates staggered around the course. He didn’t make the switch to freestyle skiing until last year.

“This year, I worked with a coach at Snow Trails, this incredible guy, Cam,” Freud said. “I would go out there three, four or five times a week for an hour or two hours, and we would work on a specific trick or mastering some small skill, and then, I would apply it to a bunch of other tricks.”

Some people avoid freestyle skiing due to the dangerous nature of the sport, however, Freud decided to abandon grand slalom skiing after breaking his arm on his first time skiing down a rail.

“Most people, they would break their arm and they’d be like, ‘Never again,’ and I went, ‘Oh, that wasn’t so bad,’” he said. “I went back out there with a sling, and I hit my first rail, and I slid my first box and went off my first jump successfully—all those things I did with a sling on.”

However, breaking his arm is not what made Freud devote his time to freestyle skiing.

“I really, really fell in love with the sport [because] with freestyle skiing there’s so much style that’s independent to each rider,” he said. “I loved the creativity, and I ended up kind of having a knack for it.”

Freud’s mom is also passionate about skiing and competed as a grand slalom skier.

“She was probably my biggest influence,” he said. “She kind of carried that love of skiing into me.”

Growing up, Freud and his mom were inseparable on the slopes. However, as the two of them got older and as Freud started to venture onto more rigorous skiing expeditions, his mom didn’t join him as often.

“That really put [things] into perspective, you know, that I have to kind of make a choice now. If I don’t start taking skiing seriously now and trying to be competitive [then] I’m going to wake up one day and be 30, and I won’t have the opportunity to start,” he said. “You only live once [as] cliche as that is.”

Freud has received a mix of positive and negative reactions to his decisions; some people in Freud’s life have written off his decision as rash and illegitimate, however, his mom has been supportive.

“My mom was probably the most supportive,” he said. “She was just stoked because she gets to kind of live vicariously through me. And at the very least, she’ll be able to come out to Colorado and [use] my ski pass to ride at Copper Mountain rather than here.”

Despite the doubters, Freud has remained unwavering in his decision and recommends that other students follow a similar untraditional path if that’s what’s best for them.

“Try and find that same kind of foothold that you would find in a college in [a] noncollege pathway,” he said. “You have to take it as seriously as you take college for it to be real. But if you are not sure if college is right for you, then set out some of those pathways because college isn’t right for everyone.”

AVA RILEY

During her junior and senior years, senior Ava Riley split her time between UAHS and Tolles Career & Technical Center. There, she spent her time in the cosmetology lab and improved her skills working on hair, skin and nails. Then, once she reached the 1500-hour markband, Riley received her state board cosmetology license and has been an assistant at the Color Bar since April.

Riley plans on continuing to be a hair colorist after graduation, and after anywhere from five to six months, Riley will graduate from being an assistant and become an official stylist.

“I knew that that was like the next step for me,” Riley said. “This is something that I’ve completely fallen in love with, and [I] think being able to jump into it right away is something that I knew that I wanted to do.”

At first, Riley didn’t know that career school was an option for her.

“I always loved hair and makeup, that kind of thing. But I really didn’t think this was something that you could have a career out of; I thought of it as more of a hobby,” she said. “But my school counselor actually had talked to me about the opportunity to go to a career school, [so] I just decided to take that risk.”

Riley’s mom had the greatest influence on her decision to attend a career school.

“She saw how much… I loved hair [and] doing makeup,” Riley said. “So she had told me like, ‘Join and talk to your counselor about it.’”

Aside from her mom and counselor, Riley receives support from her colleagues at Color Bar.

“That’s like the best thing I think about working in a salon; [it’s] very close knit and you can kind of bounce ideas off of each other and help each other out with formulations and stuff like that,” she said. “Everyone is super helpful. I think that that’s what makes it such a nice place.”

As an assistant, Riley floats around from stylist to stylist and is shadowed by multiple people. One day she could be learning about a specific coloring technique and the next be learning different styles of cutting. One consistent factor of her daily duties is the advice Riley picks up from her colleagues.

“Always continue your education, and learn as much as you can,’ one of Riley’s colleagues said. “Like with most things in cosmetology, you’ll never fully know everything. So I think even though I have my license, it’s pretty much just like a building point to keep learning more,” Riley said. “There’s always classes you can take and different things like regarding cosmetology that you can always use [to] enhance your skill set.”

Riley gives her own advice to students who want to do something similar after graduation.

“If you have something that you know you are passionate about or interested in, don’t count it out,” she said. “I just believe that if you are truly gifted at something and it’s something you love doing, there is way [that] you can be really successful with it and go far with it.” To read about more seniors, visit www.arlingtonian.com

▶ PURSUING PASSIONS

TOP: Senior Ava Riley treats one of her clients with hairspray. PHOTO COURTESY AVA RILEY

MIDDLE: Senior Noah Freud makes his way to the icy slopes, skiis in hand. PHOTO COURTESY NOAH FREUD

BOTTOM: Senior Hana Boyle and her mom, Miranda Boyle, pick out clothing to display in their boutique, Thread.

PHOTO COURTESY HANA BOYLE

BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE

Guest columnists from the Class of 2022 reflect on their high school careers.

INTRODUCTION BY CALLIA PETERSON, ’22. GRAPHICS AND PHOTO EDITING BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

Today is the last full day of school for the UAHS seniors. For the past year, the seniors have experienced many lasts: their last night cheering on the football team from the student section, their last homecoming dance, their last lunch from the cafeteria, their last episode of Kickin’ It and so many more. With many lasts come many goodbyes. But before the seniors say goodbye, Arlingtonian invites them to reflect on their time in high school.

The Class of 2022 started high school in the fall of 2018. As freshmen, they began a new chapter in a new building, learning a new floor plan and a new set of rules. Suddenly, they were put with students from different middle schools. Their community broadened and their courses became more rigorous. In stark contrast to senior year’s many lasts, freshman year is full of firsts. Students went to their first winter formals and their first office hours. Many of them joined their first clubs or sports teams. Outside of the walls of UAHS, the #MeToo movement was sweeping the nation, Justice Brett Kavanaugh was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Notre-Dame Cathedral went up in flames and a massive college admissions scandal was exposed by the U.S. Justice Department.

When the Class of 2022 entered their sophomore year, many students took their first AP class, likely AP U.S. Government and Politics, and read “Oedipus Rex” and “The Great Gatsby” for the first time. But the biggest event of their sophomore year was the COVID-19 pandemic. In March of 2020, Governor Mike DeWine shut down schools. All students attended school remotely, tuning into 30 minute Zoom sessions, watching recorded lectures and completing school work from home.

Junior year was the year of everchanging schedules. Students were able to choose if they wanted to continue learning from home through the district’s Online Academy or opt for the schoolbased option. For students who chose the school-based option, the year went from Enhanced Distance Learning to Hybrid Learning to Enhanced Distance Learning again to Hybrid Learning again to fulltime in-person school. All school-based classes were blocked, so they were twice as long and occured every other day (for the most part). By spring, vaccines became available to some students, and connections began to shift from Zoom to the classroom. Junior year was also the school year Joe Biden was elected president over Donald Trump, the Democrats took back the Senate and a new racial justice movement sparked conversations about policing in America.

This year the seniors moved into a new building, along with the rest of the school. School was fully in-person all year for students who did not choose the Online Academy. Many seniors were able to take more ACT and SAT tests and go on more in-person college visits than they were able to during their junior year. Some embarked on the college admissions process, while others made alternative plans for their lives after graduation. New strains of COVID-19 came to UA, and booster shots were made available for students in the winter. The school year started with a district-wide mask mandate that was lifted towards the end of February. Now, seniors are attending their final classes and preparing for their graduation ceremony which will take place in-person at The Schottenstein Center on May 29.

The Arlingtonian staff invited 11 seniors to write about their time in high school. In the next several pages, readers will find insight into these students’ various passions, goals and memories. These students, nominated by their peers, represent a broad range of experiences at UAHS. Their narratives speak to the challenges and joys of attending high school during the past four years.

Going into high school, I had no idea who I was. I was a kid that didn’t have a friend group, had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and didn’t really feel needed by anyone. I knew certain things about myself but not a lot. I knew I loved being with people; I knew I loved music, and I knew that I had to get good grades in order to feel satisfied with myself. Throughout my time at UAHS, I tried to fit in everywhere I could. I joined student council, the football team, the volleyball team, the musical and the track team. I did everything I could to fill up my time and meet new people.

As a freshman, I was the epitome of the UA stereotype. I strived to get straight A’s, and I took as many honors classes while planning to take as many AP/IB classes as I could. I played two different sports and was in “Mamma Mia!” (the school musical my freshman year). I felt like I had to be perfect because I looked up to certain people that were the overachieving seniors I aimed to be. While I was accomplishing everything I thought would make me feel happy, I felt this void inside me. I assumed it was because I didn’t have many true friends, but I was wrong.

My sophomore year was a big step for me. After going to therapy for almost a year, I decided to go on antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds. While I know now that this is not a big deal and it’s perfectly normal, I still felt different. I didn’t really tell anyone because I thought that it shouldn’t be talked about, and it honestly felt a little embarrassing. I believed that if I told anyone, they’d think I wanted attention, or they’d think of me differently. I wanted people to still think of me as Grant Overmyer, the epitome of UA students.

I took another large step that same year. I started coming out to my family. After a lot of thought and careful consideration, I started telling people about my sexuality. I was scared that other people would change their thoughts about me, but the more that I told people I was different, the more I accepted that I am different than the stereotypical UA student I wanted to be.

While I was still trying to be the perfect student, I started to branch out. I signed up to join Community School. While Community School had a stigma of kids that were “bad apples,” it was where I started to learn who I was. It turned out to be a great experience for me. I learned how to successfully write long papers and work productively in groups. It was very enjoyable to be with the same group of students for most of the day. It taught me to be my own person while working with others. I believe this was the turning point in my life where I learned that it is OK to create your own path. I was starting to do things that I wanted to do and not what I felt I had to do.

Now in my senior year, I’m beginning to accept myself for who I am. I don’t get perfect grades. I don’t have the most popular girl as my girlfriend. I don’t play any sports. However, I found a group of friends that love me for me and not the fake version of myself I wanted people to see. I learned that it’s OK to take on-level classes, not play sports and choose what extracurriculars I want to do. I know now who I am. I am Grant Overmyer, and I like me.

Karate is a core part of my life. From having the opportunity to compete across the nation to putting in countless hours of training at the dojo, my karate journey has been both grueling and fulfilling. My dojo has been the place that fostered my discipline and enhanced my responsibility and honor. The lessons I learned from karate are skills that I have applied throughout my high school career. I am thus dedicating this essay to three karate concepts that hold a firm place in my identity: Ukemi (受身), Zanshin (残心) and Kihon (基本).

LESSON ONE: UKEMI 受身.

Karate involves pain. When my training partner throws a kick, I must receive it (even if it is fellow senior Maxen Yerington with his agonizingly powerful roundhouse kick)! Jumping away or haphazardly blocking disrupts my training partner’s ability to precisely hit a target. Ukemi, then, informs the karate practitioner of a responsibility to receive an attack so that the other student can correctly apply a technique. To practice Ukemi is to have faith in one’s karate partner by entitling them to a fair training environment.

Outside the dojo, high school is an important place to implement Ukemi. A successful student at UAHS, in my eyes, is not just a person who can recite facts and quotes in class; they also need to uplift others. The most memorable seniors I looked up to when I was a freshman were those who gave me the chance to succeed. They demonstrated leadership when they spent hours helping me with debate after school; they recognized my hard work and treated me with kindness and respect; they allowed me to overcome obstacles and become a more confident person. Now as a senior, I recognize the tremendous gratification of giving others the chance to succeed. Ukemi means receiving, observing, feeling, engaging and uplifting. Use that skill, and you will be acknowledged as a person with a warm and welcoming heart.

LESSON TWO: KIHON 基本

Kihon is defined as the fundamentals of karate. Nothing is more critical than embracing the basics, both in karate and within other disciplines. Sound technique allows a competitor to strike with deadly force. Meticulous, daily practice on the basics may seem dull and bland, but Kihon is what keeps a student’s skills sharp.

To students at UAHS, remember to use Kihon. You will stumble across strenuous practice sets, confusing essay prompts and technical labs. Commit yourself to your foundations: your work ethic, study skills, leadership capabilities and interpersonal abilities. These fundamentals will make you a person committed to growth. Kihon is the magic that transforms a novice into a master. Without knowing your basics, you will falter.

LESSON THREE: ZANSHIN 残心

While there is no direct translation of Zanshin, it most nearly means remaining spirit. To score a point in a karate match, for example, I must maintain my focus before, during and after a technique. When I am in the heat of a match and my opponent is throwing every attack imaginable, I need to stay determined because there is no “give-up” option. Zanshin thus enables a practitioner to call upon every fiber of their being to focus.

In my high school career, Zanshin is the standard I aim to set with regard to practice. Although I may not always meet that standard, I know that level of dedication is what drives success. For students who aim to be strong, in academics or in extracurriculars, I offer this advice: be unrelenting, ruthless, courageous and thoughtful in your ability to focus and get work done. It took me too long to recognize that the strongest students are not the ones who are cramming during late nights before an exam but instead are the ones who methodically think, plan and execute the tasks that matter well in advance of deadlines. To do well in high school, prepare yourself for all stages of conflict and continually stay focused to achieve your vision.

The people around us help shape who we are as human beings: our morals, motivations and principles. We see the aspects of others that we admire and other aspects that we are not fond of and seemingly pick and choose which features we like when defining ourselves.

As I reflect on the past four years, I realize how much of myself has been influenced by other people. In positive and negative ways, of course, but most importantly, I have concluded that through all the chaos and awkwardness of high school, I am leaving UAHS with a critical piece of information: genuine connection is the most valuable thing in our lives. The relationships we share with other people—but most importantly with ourselves—give our life purpose and meaning each day.

Going into my junior year, I made a decision that would stimulate my passion for global politics, open my mind to foreign ideas and concepts, and temporarily make my life a living hell; I chose to pursue the IB Diploma. However, the process of achieving this diploma led me to experience something that I will cherish for the rest of my life: the power of genuine connection. While debating foreign ideologies and discussing novels like “Woman at Point Zero” and “Beloved,” which expose the social and racial injustices around the globe and in our own nation’s past, I have realized the power of empathy and just how powerful our words are. What we say has the power to marginalize an entire group of people but also can make someone feel seen, heard and valued. This diploma process has taught me the impact of the words we use and how important it is to be intentional with what we say when connecting with others.

I see the power of my relationships every single day. I feel excited towards lunchtime because that is when I can be with my best friends gathered around the lunch table munching on school-made PB and J’s and finding humor in the smallest things as we debrief about our morning. I have realized that my relationships on the field hockey and lacrosse teams are why I look forward to every single practice. I can laugh and share memories with people who choose to participate in something bigger than themselves because they somehow get me through those dang sprint ladders. Lastly, I cherish my time with my parents and my brother, Sam. Whether I am sharing my dad’s legendary shrimp tacos during Sunday dinner or traveling to watch my brother play lacrosse, I have realized that the small moments with the people we value give our life purpose.

These past four years have revealed the impact that others have on my life, but more recently, I have learned another important lesson: to thrive in relationships with others, we must own ourselves first. Perhaps the most significant takeaway is that the only way to create rewarding relationships with others is to start with the one you have with yourself. Yes, relationships are essential, but if you do not feel connected with who you are on the inside, you will not be able to seek connections with those around you. Self-agency is liberating, and I am grateful to those who helped me find my voice during these past four years.

Coming into high school, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I had no older siblings or older friends who could tell me about the classes no one should take, what my teachers were like or even just the best way to get through the building. That last part is important because anyone who was in the old building could tell you there was absolutely no logical organization to it, and at times, it seemed like you would never be able to find that one classroom on your schedule. I also had absolutely no clue what I might want to do with my life. I didn’t know where I wanted to go to college or what I would even do while I was there, but by picking classes and activities that I thought I would enjoy, I was able to find what I love doing, and I also found lots of people along the way with whom I could share my interests.

One of the activities to which I have devoted a significant amount of time while in high school has been sports. Some of my greatest achievements have probably been due to my participation in sports. This makes sense because sports have provided me with an outlet for restless energy, a place to make friends I will never forget and skills that will last a lifetime. The benefits of sports are talked about endlessly: commitment, self-discipline, teamwork, resilience and time management, just to name a few. But one of the most important things for me has been an investment in my health, both physical and mental. And while physical health is very heavily prioritized, mental health is often overlooked.

Mental health is important for every single person. High school sometimes doesn’t help with this. Many push their limits past what they are capable of handling either to look good on college applications or for other reasons. With this in mind, it’s important for people to understand themselves and their individual needs, and be a little selfish in recognizing they are the most important person in their life. Be kind to others, but also remember to be kind to yourself and invest in self-care.

With all of the excessive pressure to excel, make sure that you’re taking care of yourself first and foremost. Get enough sleep; stay organized and on top of classes, and form healthy relationships with other people. In a school with a population of close to 2,000 kids and even more teachers and staff, there will always be someone there if you need it. Trust me, as someone who went from a socially anxious, clueless freshman to the person I am now: forging relationships with students, teachers, coaches and others makes all the difference in creating a positive environment and making high school less scary.

I love learning about anything and everything. I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge of all kinds from a myriad of sources. I have spent every day in this school (and the old one) with the mission to learn something new every day. High school has provided me with time to grow into the person I am today, who I am proud to be. I hope you allow high school to be a place where you grow as a person, enjoy learning and find your people.

My first distinct memory of high school was in early June 2018; the summer before my freshman year. I had joined the marching band and had very luckily been put on the snare line, a high honor for a freshman. I remember driving to the high school almost petrified with anxiety. I questioned whether I needed to bring my own sticks, if I had dressed right, if I would show up too early or too late, if I would talk too much or too little, what my hair looked like, if I’d find the right room, if my mom should come in with me or not, what the high schoolers would think of me, etc. Eventually, we arrived at the school, and I cautiously navigated my way to the band room where a few high schoolers and a couple of adults were waiting. I can’t remember exactly how it happened, but at some point when I was shaking someone’s hand, I regurgitated a joke I had heard from god-knows-where and which I don’t really understand the humor of even today: “That’s a strong grip lad, you play much tennis?” Apparently this was top-level comedy, and the other high schoolers there burst out laughing, and the anxiety and tension all melted away as I very quickly integrated into the band and drumline.

Friday night football games allowed me to let loose, and the Friday morning breakfasts with the drumline and postgame activities with the wider band did as well. The band became like a family, and around them I was outgoing, charismatic (I hope), funny (I think), impulsive and very loose for lack of a better word. Band allowed me to be someone who cared just enough to get the work done but always had the goal of having fun and living the moment at the front of his mind. In classes and clubs—Honors Chemistry, AP World History, AP U.S. Government and Politics, AP English Language and Composition, and most importantly, Mock Trial—where I was fortunate enough to have good friends and very understanding teachers, I was able to similarly enjoy myself in class while also learning and making good friends with classmates. This is how most of you know me and stands in stark contrast to my more nervous, secondguessing side. That other side of me, though, can be positive in its own ways.

In the more serious moments of my life when I’m backlogged on work, interviewing for a job, speaking with teachers and administrators in student government or gearing up for a Mock Trial competition, that other side of me— the one self-editing what I say, making sure to be humble and polite, letting others speak first at meetings and listening to critique—can be crucial. It’s great to bask in the limelight or to ride the highs of a fun outing with friends, but sometimes it’s better to tap into that other side of me. It allows me humility, professionalism, selfcriticism and most importantly, empathy and conscientiousness (sometimes even to a fault, yielding anxiety and depressive episodes).

For most of my life, I have had these two distinct and conflicting mentalities for analyzing myself and my interactions with the world around me. Over the last four years, however, I have finally learned to understand and embrace both. There was no “Eureka!” moment for this understanding (otherwise you’d be reading about it). It was only from years of therapy, conversations with friends and self-reflection that I learned when to be self critical and when to enjoy life. I’d like to think that I have a firm grasp on both sides now, that I’ve struck a good balance, that now I’m able to be humble, reflective and withdrawn when appropriate but bombastic and extroverted when I want to be. Keeping the balance can be hard, but I think most everyone does it, and I think we’re all better for it.

At the tail end of fifth grade, on June 1, 2015, I wrote a letter to my future self containing all the things I wanted high school senior Anna Schuler to know. That letter arrived in the mail last night. In it, I wrote about my hobbies, my friends, my interests and my memories— but I also made two requests. First, that I be someone I would be proud of. And second, that I remember all the friends I made.

I don’t know if I’m someone my fifth grade self would be proud of. She had aspirations I don’t have anymore—figure skating on the national stage, publishing a book and being an architect. But, after all this time, I think I might be someone my current self is proud of. My aspirations haven’t disappeared; they’ve been refined. High school has been, frankly, a lot. But it served as a proving ground to find what I’m actually passionate about. You can’t juggle a dozen extracurriculars for long; at some point, things have to be prioritized.

I’ve had to let go of more of my dreams than fifth grade Anna probably could have predicted, and every time I did, for a while, it felt like I’d lost something. Like I was missing out on a part of myself that could be amazing if I just tried harder. Like I was disappointing fifth grade Anna who wanted to be a figure skater, an author and an architect. But fifth grade Anna also loved to play violin with her friends and cared an honestly insane amount about math. With every dream I gave up, these interests came further into focus. Each choice carried me a step closer to who I am, and who I’m going to become. Maybe fifth grade Anna would have wanted me to make different choices, but I’m happy where I am.

Fifth grade Anna’s second request is easy. From preschool to senior year of high school, the friends I’ve made have been the most important part of my life. I don’t think I could forget them if I tried.

She reminded me of something important, though. I should not be considered qualified to give advice, but if I had to give underclassmen one piece of advice, it would be this: cherish the friendships you have in high school. No matter how well you keep in touch after you graduate, life changes. People change. You’ll change. And with that, your friendship will change. That’s not a bad thing; it’s just a thing. But it means that your friendships, the ways they are now, are short, so cherish them.

At the end of eighth grade, on May 10, 2018, I sent another letter to my future self. In that one, I wrote that I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I asked myself to do what makes me happy.

That, I think, is getting easier and easier with time.

To fifth grade Anna Schuler: I hope I’ve made you proud. Thanks for reminding me to keep appreciating my friends. (Also, thanks for telling me that you like Doctor Who and Minecraft. That was very important for me to hear.)

And to eighth grade Anna Schuler: I’m trying to do what makes me happy. I’m still finding out what I really love doing, but I’m getting closer. You’ll have some great times these next four years in high school. I promise.

Ah yes, UAHS. The Class of 2022 is a fun one, and I’ll enjoy revisiting when we meet back here for class reunions. It feels weird writing that, but it’s true. What’s also weird is that I’ll never be able to walk the halls of my freshman, sophomore and junior years because the old school is gone. My dad is a UA graduate, and I can remember him smiling as he walked through those same halls. But all is not lost because my senior year is in this brand new building, and I’ve already made great memories here.

Sports were obviously a big part of my high school days. From sweating on the 100 degree turf on a two-a-day before football season to giving it all I’ve got in the last stretch of a 400 meter race at the end of track season, there’s been no shortage of life lessons. I understand people speak frequently about lessons learned while practicing and competing in athletics, but I think that speaks to its overwhelming importance. I’ve learned many things, but if I had to choose one lesson I would say get comfortable with the uncomfortable. I think, and I know I’m not alone, that this is a key aspect of growing as a person. It doesn’t always feel good to work out, but we know we’re getting stronger. We might not feel like doing our homework, but it makes us smarter and more skilled. In fact, this is happening as I’m writing this! I know I’m not the best in literature classes, and writing essays makes me uncomfortable. So when I was asked to write this piece for the Arlingtonian, I recognized a challenge, and here I am! I understand I’ll probably come out the other side of this a better individual, even if it’s a tiny improvement.

While sports were a big part of high school for me, there was more that stood out. My sophomore year I was assigned the task of interviewing a grandparent for my literature class. It seemed insignificant at the time, but I’m very thankful for it now. I chose to interview my Grandpa, or Poppy, as we like to call him. I enjoyed his stories about life growing up in Galloway, Ohio and meeting my Grandma; however, what stuck with me the most was his answer to my very last question,“If you had to give me one word of wisdom what would it be?” He explained that people underestimate patience. We are always looking forward to the next big thing. We go to high school, and we’re impatient to graduate; we go to college, and we’re impatient to get a job; we get married, and we’re impatient to have kids and so on. We get so caught up in the future that we miss the ever so important present. Living in the moment takes a little practice but gives a lifetime of meaning.

Ever since my Grandpa said this I’ve tried to soak up every moment of my high school experience because even though it’s a small glimpse of life as a whole, it can determine a whole lot. I don’t want to sound like I’m some expert at living in the moment 24/7. Believe me, I’m not. I just wanted to share a piece of my high school experience that felt important to me and hopefully helpful to others.

I’ve enjoyed going to high school at UA. It’s treated me well. I’ve forged great friendships, learned a ton and grew as a person even more. I can also see this in my classmates’ lives as well. But now that we are parting ways, I can look back and declare with confidence that it was a positive experience that prepared me for a good life.

Ihave always been captivated with the skies. What started as a passionate interest in meteorology in elementary school blossomed with the realization that I could interact with the atmosphere. I realized that my interest in flying and aeronautics could potentially lead to a fascinating career of becoming a pilot. As a result, my resulting interests in math and physics and the mechanics behind aviation followed naturally. I was fortunate to have had amazing mentor teachers like Mr. Chandler and Mr. Schuster who encouraged me through their subject matter and taught me from their heart which is something that I hold in high regard. Joining my passion for flight with an education specializing in aviation is my ultimate career aspiration. Becoming a pilot has become the primary motivation in my life.

I started high school very anxious. I did not talk in my classes as a freshman, and I kept my head down and focused on the work. Because I am a competitive dancer, I did not have the opportunity to connect with UAHS through a sports team, but found my connection through student council and academics, and I am glad I did. Sophomore year, as I made new friends, I began to come out of my shell and capitalize on my strengths with these new peers who supported me and embraced my true self. But as the year progressed and COVID-19 hit, my life and view of my purpose changed. I made the best out of my time through COVID-19 and really learned about myself along the way. I had some degree of self-confidence and self-expression due to competition dance, but being in quarantine gave me more confidence and provided me with a sense of self-reliance. I mastered the art of online classwork and organizational skills to excel academically. All of these early high school experiences have enabled me to grow into the person I am today.

Motivation has never been an issue for me throughout my high school career. My mom is a teacher, and I grew up with my life centered around education. I earned good grades and did what I was told, but I always was looking towards the end goal: to enjoy my career. My mom is passionate about her job and loves going to work everyday. I have no doubt that I will share that same passion for my career because the first time I went up in a light aircraft, I was instantly hooked.

I spent my junior and senior years honing my leadership skills and researching every option available to become a pilot. I ultimately chose the civilian route to attend the number one rated flight school in the U.S. With this amazing opportunity, I am studying Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the fall, and I hope to become a commercial pilot in the near future. As a female entering a male dominated career, I am excited to break through the stereotypes and forge my way to success.

I will leave the underclassmen with one piece of advice: have fun. It sounds easy when put into words, but once I realized that no one is really watching or scrutinizing you, I was able to truly become the person I am today. You are your own worst critic, so give yourself a break and just do your best, and enjoy life! I still have much more to discover about myself, although I have grown so much in my time at UAHS and wouldn’t change a thing about these past four years.

Until September of my senior year, I wasn’t completely sure about what I wanted to do or where I wanted to attend college. So, during high school, I just tried anything and everything I found interesting.

I was new to UA freshman year, having attended St. Andrew School from preschool to eighth-grade. I graduated eighth-grade with 32 kids in my class. The start of freshman year was sort of a blur for me with so many new faces, but I wanted to make the most of it.

The first day of freshman year, I was enrolled in American Sign Language. I realized that I wanted to take Spanish instead and switched languages the third day of school.

Freshman year, I was in the ensemble of “Mamma Mia!.” And while I enjoy watching theater shows, I realized I can’t dance at all!

I played field hockey for all four years of high school. I was on junior varsity for three years and was on varsity for the first time this year. I enjoyed playing field hockey with my friends, but I was never awesome at the sport.

Freshman year for Idea Day, I participated in a creative writing workshop because I love to write. At that time in my life, I thought I wanted to be an author.

After seeing Kickin’ It for the first time, I asked my counselor, Ms. Nyeste, how I could be on the show. As a result, during my sophomore and junior years, I took all the pre-requisite classes. This year, I have been on the show, and I love meeting new people during interviews. However, I also realized that I didn’t want to do that as a career.

I have played guitar since I was eight and have always sang and written songs. During the Club Fair freshman year, I heard about Jam Club, a club where students can share and connect with music, started by Ruth Burguenthal (a UA alum). She organized weekly open mics where I met many cool musicians.

Sophomore year, I started volunteering at a Hilliard nursing home by playing guitar and singing for the residents. I enjoy talking with the residents and learning some old classic songs. I also released a five song EP and a music video during sophomore year, and during junior year, I started performing shows at local restaurants with my band.

By the time August of senior year rolled around, I hadn’t toured a single college. However, I had been hearing about Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. So, I toured it last September, found out that I could major in Songwriting, and now I will be attending Belmont in August. I will also be minoring in Spanish.

This April, I released a new single under the stage name, Kikko Mai and will be releasing new music in the summer.

I learned throughout my four years at UAHS that it’s okay to be unsure about your future, and it’s okay to not be good at everything. I encourage everyone to keep trying new activities and extracurriculars because you will find your passions, and you will meet all kinds of cool people along the way.

Ifirst moved to Ohio in 2018 for my freshman year of high school. Before that, I had lived in Saudi Arabia for five years after we moved from my birth state, New Jersey, in 2013. As I was used to moving in general, the transition was not very hard. However, moving from my friends and life in a small, closely-knit community to a larger community where everyone knew each other since kindergarten was not the easiest. As opposed to my Sudanese immigrant parents who made friends wherever they went, I am by nature a little less outgoing. Although it took some time and effort to push myself past my comfort, I can say that I belong in UA by the comfort provided to me by my friends.

One thing that I did that I recommend to incoming students is to take part in the many activities that UA has to offer. From the many clubs at the school that allowed me to explore my interests to the amazing moments while playing optimist basketball with my friends. What probably helped most in my integration into the school was participating in soccer. Most people who participate in teams will understand the importance of the relationships on these teams. These like-minded individuals who share the same interests as you can become some of your closest friends. After years of soccer, I can truly say that some of the best moments of my high school career happened while sitting and talking on the bench (and no, I’m not just saying that because I spent a lot of time there). To future UAHS students, I recommend enjoying your time with the people on these teams and activities because it will pass in an instant.

From an academic perspective, I would have never expected myself to be in this position as I sat through my first classes. During my first two years, I took what I considered to be easy classes as I tried to surf my way through school. But as the view of college became clearer and clearer, I realized that I needed to apply myself to be where I wanted to be as a graduating senior. With that, I willingly and blissfully joined the IB diploma program. Although the IB diploma was quite grueling, I learned many things from it. I have acquired many new forms of procrastination such as playing the piano and online chess and have also mastered the art of staring at blank spaces on my wall hoping my essays would disappear while I sat jittery because of the Redbull. Though those may not seem like the best habits to gain, it prepared me to complete assignments in one night two weeks after the assignment was due at a still passable level. My initial hatred for most writing assignments at the start of my high school career has not gone away, but I am more equipped to write them. All jokes aside, the IB program allowed me to take classes and have teachers that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. From reading obscure books to learning about the world of Java to learning about the Arab-Israeli conflict, the teachers and content of these classes were truly enjoyable. Overall, although at the moment it hurts to challenge yourself academically, I recommend that incoming students think about who they want to be as a student as they prepare to go off to college and apply themselves for the sake of their goals all while having fun.

Lastly, my final piece of advice to the incoming high schoolers is, even if it may sound quite corny, to always be yourself. Stay true to your personality and identity and you will find the people you belong with, and you will be happy (I hope).

Emma,

Here is a list of everything that I wish I could have known going into high school.”

This was the first sentence of a packet my older sister and UAHS alumna, Abbie, handed me the summer before my freshman year. It included sections about clothes to wear, clubs to join, friends and music. After she handed me the packet, she ripped out a sheet of notebook paper to help me plan my freshman year schedule. As expected, she picked what honors classes I would take, my art credit being choir and told me to stick with volleyball. I doubted her in the process of this planning, but she told me to “just trust the process.” Looking back at the past four years, I know she was right.

Then, fast forward a month to the dreadful freshman orientation. Every freshman has experienced walking into the gym on the first day, sitting by their peers and listening to the administration talk about the next four years. When you look around at the gym walls, you see the state championship titles UA has won in a multitude of sports including lacrosse, swimming, football and water polo, just to name a few. There is a reason for this success: UA’s sports teams’ atmosphere. When I began playing in the volleyball program, I immediately recognized the emphasis on the team. Everything was team-oriented from team meals, trips to Graeters and bus rides. Because I was a part of the volleyball team before school even started, I knew I had friends going into the first day of school, and as I head towards my last day of high school, I have the same amazing friends. It didn’t matter if the friendships started in the weightlifting room or at conditioning, they became stronger throughout the years with car rides, ice cream runs, dinners and playing together.

At freshman orientation, after hearing from the administration for the welcome, the Class of 2022 made their way to the auditorium. Eventually, I would grow to love this space, but I was doubtful about being in choir. At first, in my freshman and sophomore year, I didn’t even like to sing, but Ms. Smith-Lockwood sparked a strong love of music within me. Long story short, I went out of my comfort zone; I tried out for Vocal Ensemble at the end of my sophomore year, and made it! Little did I know this group of students, with all different interests in the school, would be brought together by music to form a family. No matter how bad my day would be going, I could always count on the people in choir to give me an enjoyable break in my day. By spending so much time with my fellow Vocal Ensemble members through gig season and a special trip to New York, I fully see these people as a family. Through many Dum Dums, dried cherries and New York bagels, friendships have been strengthened, rekindled and made.

As I am running out of words to describe the countless bonds I have formed in my other extracurriculars (Bear Den, Student Council, UACA Junior Director, etc.), I think about what my freshman self would think. I think she would be proud and happy to see that I made and sustained as many friendships as I could in high school just by getting involved in the things I enjoyed. If you as a reader get one thing out of this, please let it be the following: join what you’re interested in and make amazing friends along the way. Thank you UA for giving me some amazing people in my life.