By KATE SANTILLAN, Contributing Writer
June 13, 2019
At this time of year, the spring sports season is ending, the last grades are being submitted, and all the underclassmen are stressing over finals. Seniors, on the other hand, are getting ready to graduate and start the next step in their education. They have worked long and hard to get to where they are now and the time has finally come. One of these exceptional and outstanding seniors would be Tara Jennings, NBTHS’ 2019 Salutatorian.
As she wraps up her last weeks at NBTHS, she has an open mind and heart to her near future. Jennings will be majoring in history or journalism at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. During her college experience, she wants to “take advantage of the opportunities in the environment of D.C.” and not miss any chances that come her way. After college, she hopes to join the Peace Corps. When asked what inspired her to want the honor of being Salutatorian, Jennings replied with, “I never expected to have the honor, but I learned as best as I could and tried as much I can.”
Jennings is a prime example of what it means to be a student athlete. While exceeding academically, she also managed to be an extraordinary team player. Not only does she have the second highest grade point average in the class of 2019, but she also was a varsity volleyball player, varsity basketball player, and varsity softball player. According to Jennings, she has been playing both softball and basketball for about thirteen years, ever since she was five years old. She says her “teammates, coaches, and teachers” are who inspired and encouraged her throughout her journey at NBTHS. “When I was a freshman, I looked up to my older teammates a lot,” she expresses, “It’s nice to do the same now for my younger teammates.” Along with her older teammates, she states “my coaches and teachers always gave me great advice.”
Furthermore, Jennings has also contributed to the school as well as her community. She is one of the four officers of SGO (Student Government Organization) and has been a part of SGO for all four years of highschool. “I was a homeroom rep in freshman year, and then was a part of the Executive Board the rest of the three years” she explains. SGO sets up all of the events at NBTHS including homecoming 2018 which happens to be Jennings’ favorite memory of high school. “Setting up for the dance with SGO was really fun and since it was the last year I just tried to have as much fun as I could,” she says.
In her life so far, Jennings has done everything without any regrets. She encourages younger students to “Have fun, grades aren’t everything, but it is important to do well.” She admits to having a couple of difficulties within her journey. “At times, there was too much pressure I put on myself and I had to learn to be comfortable with who I am. I needed to know to not have such high expectations” she explains. Despite the struggles she has had to deal with, she still seems to put on a smile and go through everything calmly. She hopes to see herself happy and enjoying her life in ten years. When asked to give advice to her past self, she said, “Everything will work out okay, there will be times where it’s stressful, but take advantage of the opportunities you have and you’ll enjoy your time here.”
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