List of 8 items.

• How she expresses herself:

  Through dance. "There are no words in ballet for a reason; you’re supposed to use your body to convey the whole message, and I really love that. I’ll find a room in my house and just play music and start dancing to it. Whether it’s a happy song or a sad song, I try to convey what I’m feeling as much as I possibly can through dance.”

• What she loves about Ellis:

  The teachers. "I am personally sort of shy about asking for help, but the teachers make sure that you know that you don’t have to be shy about it. It doesn’t matter what you’re having difficulties with—they’re always so willing to help and accommodate.”

• How she makes new students feel welcome:

  Through Ellis’ Big/Little Sibling program. "You show a new student around and give them a friend they know they can count on. My Little Sister was my friend Annie when she came to Ellis in eighth grade. I have gotten to know Annie really well, and she’s one of my best friends now. We always have the most interesting conversations.”

• A favorite class project:

  "In history class, we did a really fun activity where we had to research a character from history and create a dating profile for them. We also did a class debate. I usually get nervous when I’m speaking without a script, but it was really cool to stand up in front of people and speak persuasively. I learned more about my side of the debate, and I also learned how to see from someone else's point of view.”

• On Ellis’ all-girls environment:

  "I really love it. I feel like the all-girls environment makes it easier for me and my friends to be ourselves, to be silly and funny and laugh with each other. Talking to people my age outside of school, it seems like some girls feel the need to perform, and I’m glad that I don’t personally feel like that at Ellis.”

• Manifesting her future:

  "So far, I really like the thought of either music education or being a dance teacher. I like working with younger kids and getting to see them grow. Last year I got to assistant teach the Lower School String Squad. Getting to be in more of a leadership role and see what that’s like was a really helpful experience.”

• Words of wisdom:

  "Ms. Kilpela, my English teacher, says ‘practice makes progress, not perfect.’ I really like that, because then there’s no stress or pressure. I always thought I was really good at English, but I feel like she has pushed me to become so much better. She has shown me that there’s always room to improve.”

• What she has learned about herself at Ellis:

  "That it’s okay to not be perfect. Sometimes I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect, but the fact that I’m making progress is good enough. I’ve also learned that I have more courage than I thought I did. Now, all of a sudden, I want to do all of these crazy things (like skydiving when I’m older!) that I don’t think I would if Ellis didn’t help me throw myself into new things. Obviously I want to be cautious enough to know when I’m not safe, but I want to live on the edge more, let go of some of that 'I’m too scared,’ and just go for it.”