Excelling in her schoolwork, sophomore Grace Elkhal is currently enrolled in four advanced courses: Honors English 2, Honors Biology, Honors Algebra 2, and AP World History. 

Despite all her schoolwork, she still finds time to participate in several extracurriculars. Along with leading the book club, she participates in a number of other clubs and activities such as speech and debate, volunteer club, and chess club.

Excited for the new school year and the freedom to try more things, Grace wants to accomplish more in her education. Her goal is to build on her GPA of 4.17 from last year while simultaneously adding more activities to her schedule. In addition, she plans to give more time to some of her personal pastimes such as reading and writing.

Grace says that part of the reason she loves reading is due to the experience it gives her. She thinks that books can give you important life lessons to use later in life. For instance, her summer reading book, The Secret Life of Bees, has an important lesson: “It teaches people to move forward in their lives and not let past experiences hold them back.”

Aside from reading more, she has other goals for the school year. Since she didn’t join any sports last year, she’s excited to add tennis to her crowded life. Her advice to others aligns with her general attitude and approach to school: “Try things out of your comfort zone; try new things because you might learn to love them.” Grace aspires to make time for herself while she puts her all into learning.

While her favorite subject is English, she is passionate about learning and appreciates all subjects. One of the things she enjoys is finding different ways to look at the same subject, an idea that her current English teacher, Mr. Dreisbach, encourages. She thinks that he teaches her how to do her best as a writer and as a student, analyzing poetry and stories in a variety of ways.

Another class Grace enjoys is drama: it puts her out of her comfort zone and allows her to try on new characters. She thinks that both of these classes help her push her limits and learn more about who she is and what she wants to do.

Currently, she has several ideas of what she wants to accomplish in the future; however, she doesn’t know exactly what she wants to achieve. She has thought about several options, including becoming a family doctor or a defense lawyer. She wants to help others around the world: “I want to travel and make a difference in other’s lives.” she says. No matter what she does, she hopes to have a positive effect on the people she meets.