List of 7 items.

• A recent achievement:

  Being promoted to basketball team captain. "I’m looking forward to creating a comfortable environment and making everybody on the team feel welcome. I’m excited to get to know everyone, be a positive influence on the team, and make people enjoy the sport more.”

• What makes Ellis special:

  "The relationships you build are really close. You know almost everybody you see in the school, and you get really close with the people in your class. They encourage everyone to be a family here.”

• Envisioning life after Ellis:

  "I’m really interested in sports medicine. I love sports, and I also like anatomy, so I feel like it would be pretty cool to combine the two. Also, my dad was in the NFL, so seeing his injuries and the help that he got was really interesting to me.”

• On exploring STEM:

  "I’m involved with LAUNCH STEM, an all-girls program for leadership in STEM through the Pittsburgh Technology Council. It really focuses on empowerment and building your confidence when it comes to pursuing a STEM career. I’m interested in STEM mainly when it comes to anatomy and sports medicine, and I think the program has taught me a lot about leadership and will help me in the long run.”

• A favorite class assignment:

  "I like writing a lot, specifically essays. I’ve been told it’s my specialty. In Arts and Society, I was able to choose a piece of artwork to write an essay about and explain the important details of, and I really enjoyed it. I chose 'Every Woman' by Monica Stewart, an artwork that highlights the features of a Black woman and portrays the variety within Black identity. The story behind it really inspired me.”

• On finding her voice:

  "I feel like being in an environment where you’re comfortable and can relate to the people around you can help you build your voice. That’s why I love being a part of the Black Student Union; it’s really empowering, and it makes sure that everybody has a safe space. I’ve been involved since Middle School, and it was really nice hearing from the older girls about their experiences at Ellis. I do that with the younger girls now; I tell them what I would want to hear when I was their age. I tell them to make sure to use their voice and don’t be afraid to stand out. Be comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

• Connections across campus:

  "When you have people to talk to in every grade, it makes you enjoy school more. It’s not like you’re boxed into your class. It’s nice to walk through the hallways and say hi to a senior that you got close to in P.E. It makes me happy to be able to talk to people in other grades and hear from them. They give good advice.”