Doing it all
Senior Abby Smith involves herself in school activities
photo by Abby Smith
Smith strikes a pose during her solo. She was the third runner up at the MA dance competition.
March 22, 2018
Leadership, SGA, and dance – just a few of the activities senior Abby Smith participates in. However, while she excels in all her activities, Smith still finds time to enjoy being a senior.
Smith has been dancing since she was 5, and is currently a captain of the Unleashed varsity dance team. She made the team her freshman year, and shares the captain position with senior Alex Navarro.
“We assist our coach in cleaning dances, preparing routines and leading the team in the right direction,” Smith said.
The dance team is a year round commitment with a full practice schedule. Smith has sixth period dance, as well as practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-5 p.m. Not only is she part of the dance team, Smith also dances recreationally at a studio. After practicing at the school, Smith hurries to her studio class almost every day, with only Mondays and weekends off.
On Saturday, March 10, the Unleashed dance team competed at the MA dance competition. The team won many awards, and Smith placed third runner up for her solo. She also competed a trio with her two sisters, which won first overall in their category.
“It’s pretty manageable, but weekends where we have competitions are sometimes hard because you still have to get homework done,” Smith said.
Since Smith is a senior, the college life is rapidly approaching. Smith is planning to try out for the dance team in college, but whether she makes the team or not, she refuses to part from dance.
“I love the sport/art and hope to continue doing it,” Smith said.
Dance has been her lifelong activity, but once sophomore year rolled around, Smith decided to get more involved in the school and join the Student Government Association and Leadership class. She campaigned for a senator position, and was immediately hooked once she got the spot.
“I realized how much I enjoyed it and decided to keep doing it,” Smith said.
Throughout sophomore and junior year, Smith helped out with fundraisers in order to raise enough money for events, including prom. These fundraisers included car washes, spirit nights, and even selling flip flops at the other class’s prom. Once she hit senior year, Smith was able to relax a little and enjoy the planning aspects of grad-bash, prom and graduation.
Smith has come a long way in student government, from being a senator her sophomore year with little time commitment, to the vice president of the senior class with a lot of responsibility. She is in charge of assisting and guiding the president, and is a prime student in the process of planning senior activities.
“I love leading others and helping,” Smith said. “I was really excited about making our senior year memorable.”
She is also part of multiple honor societies such as Dance, Science, Rho Kappa and National Honor Society. Although Smith is involved in many activities, she utilizes her time management skills in order to leave some room for fun. She quickly gained time management skills her freshman year, and uses her planner to make sure she is not overbooking herself.
“I keep my weekends free so that I [can] participate in all the extra senior things I [want] to do,” Smith said.
Lunch is very important for students, as it is widely seen as a big break from learning in the classroom. While most are enjoying their food with friends, Smith is constantly working on leadership or senior class projects. Whether it is selling tickets or planning prom, she does not enjoy the 30 minute break of relaxing and eating with friends.
Smith gets her homework done at night after a long day of dance and planning for senior activities, and leaves homework for Sundays so she can hang out with friends on Fridays and Saturdays. During her free time, she likes to go to the beach, movies, or hang out with friends and family. In terms of homework, while many students will go to bed and wake up early to complete homework, she prefers to do homework the night before in order to have as much time as possible in the morning.
As Smith concludes her senior year, she is up for two Sammy awards- Best All Around and Attached at the Hip. Regardless of if she wins or not, Smith is happy for the nomination.
“It feels awesome to be nominated for a Sammy’s award since our entire class votes on it,” Smith said.
