So, who is Grace?

If you have ever been to a Huntingtown High School football game, you are familiar with the feeling of sitting up in the student section, and suddenly, a shutter of a lens and bright flash pierce your eyes. This is all followed by a “Perfect, thanks!” and a warm smile from Grace Sawyer, a senior here at HHS!

Photography is a big part of what made Grace Sawyers time here at HHS a grand success! Including being the Editor and Chief of the Yearbook committee! As the Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook, Grace oversees all that is included in the yearbook, along with the head advisor, Huntingtown’s very own English teacher, Mrs. Amy Trainer. “Yearbook is definitely one of the main parts of my personality,” Sawyer explained. “It is a full-time job.” Grace expressed.

Sawyer went on to explain how her finding Mrs. Trainer freshman year is a tremendous part of why she is successful today. “I love Mrs. Trainer; she is like a second mom to me,” Grace exclaimed with a huge grin on her face. “I know that I can go to her for anything.”

I spoke briefly with a Junior here at HHS, Emma Helwig, who is also on the Yearbook Committee, and sung Grace’s praises. “I see Grace as a really talented writer. She knows how to make anyone smile, and she is very nice,” Helwig told me. “Grace is always doing her best all of the time and she is very determined.”

A Superb Student!

In addition to her literary skills, Grace is quite a student athlete! She is a member of Varsity volleyball, and she is one of the captains of our Varsity volleyball team! She is a co-captain, along with the rest of the seniors on the team (All of the seniors are dubbed Captain of the team). It sounds like Grace is quite busy! “We went to SMAC my sophomore year, and then we went to state semi’s!”

Not only is Grace an extremely skilled student athlete and Editor-in-Chief of the Yearbook Committee, but she is also a founding member of HHS’s Science National Honors Society (SNHS), a member of SNHS, a Student Writing Center tutor, a photographer of students and players at football games, she takes students senior portraits, and various other photography endeavors. I guess you can say that her hands are quite full!

Sawyer explained to me how HHS has positively impacted her not only as a student, but as a person as well! “HHS has brought me out of my shell a bit. As a freshman, I remember thinking ‘I am going to stay quiet and keep my head down, like high school is fun but it is still school,’” she thoughtfully shared. Grace went on to explain how kind she tried to be to everyone that she came across. As she said here, “I am very friendly and outgoing, and I feel like I come off like that, but people have also come up to me and said something like ‘I was so nervous to talk to you, you seem like you have everything together!’” If I could make any comment here, it would be me telling you not to be afraid to come up to Grace and talk- she will bring nothing but kindness, positivity and light into your conversation!

When asked, Grace said that she values individuality and hard work. “I love meeting new people, I am such a social butterfly! I hold myself to high standards and that goes for everyone around me as well!” Holding yourself to high standards and setting goals can not only improve your mental health but it will also encourage you to never stop and never settle, always fight for something more!

Getting on the Road to Success

Grace’s happy giggle and her overall positive attitude throughout, along with her studious work ethic, is what made her high school career a success. She gave some advice to the incoming seniors, and high schoolers in general, that can not only be applied to our educational life, but personal life as well. “I would say to ‘love the good with the bad’ because on all of those days when you have a bunch of tests back-to-back, when you lose points in a game, or you even lose games completely, value that as much as you value the fun things, like the Friday night football games or spirit weeks, or even the parties you go to with your friends on the weekends.” One other thing that Grace explained that I am sure you have heard so much throughout your high school career is to get involved early. “I remember thinking, ‘oh, I have so much time, I will get involved eventually,’ but your time really does fly by!”

Your Utmost Important Grade

Another piece of advice she had was to prioritize your mental health because “it is more important than any grade you will ever get, and you must be content with yourself in order to thrive and be successful.” Grace strongly admitted that she struggled to prioritize this in some trying times in her school career.

Finally, Sawyer explained the importance of finding a teacher or staff member that you can connect with educationally and personally. “I know my brother found Mrs. Gillis for business, and I found Mrs. Trainer; some people find Mr. Tobias with basketball and everything. It is important to make connections with your teachers because you will rely on them, and you can always go to them with questions!”

Grace has strong intentions to pursue a degree in Marine Biology, and at the same time minor in Communications and Journalism. Grace is either going to attend Oregon State, Eckert, or UNCW. Her dream job is to work for National Geographic as a travel journalist, taking her own pictures and writing her own articles. Be sure to get to know Grace and observe her future endeavors as people that are even half as kind, smart, funny, and wholesome are hard to come by!