Editor’s note: The Future Leaders of America series profiles high school seniors who display leadership qualities in their school and the community. The series is brought to you by Pridemark Construction.
By Stacey A. Shannon—
MUNCIE, IN—Athletics are a huge part of life for Muncie Central High School senior Grace Walker. She’s been on a variety of school teams, including volleyball, basketball, cheerleading and tennis. And when she’s not at school, Walker works weekends at the YMCA.
In fact, when the new facility was under construction, Walker was chosen to be a youth representative on a committee helping with ideas for the building and set-up.
“That was super cool and was an honor,” she said. “I just spend a lot of time doing sports.”
Sports have been part of life for Walker since she was 6 and lived in the Fishers area. When she was in second grade, her family moved to Muncie, and Walker knew she wanted to continue with sports.
Throughout high school, she’s loved the school spirit that comes along with sports. The football team, for example, has shown up to cheer for the volleyball team. Sports have also allowed her to be a positive representative of her school and be a student leader in different capacities.
“It’s a really good learning experience to build those leadership skills and excel and take those on to your next steps,” she said.
Recently, volleyball has been a strong sport for Walker. Earlier this year, she got her 1,000th assist in the game she’s played as a setter throughout high school.
Yet, sports aren’t the only facet to Walker. She’s also a member and social media manager of the National Honor Society. Throughout high school, Walker’s also been part of Hope Squad, which is a group for suicide prevention.
Staying balanced and on top of everything isn’t always easy. She uses time throughout her day to get as much work done as she can. And she also credits her parents for helping her succeed.
“Having the support of my family is definitely very important,” Walker said, mentioning her mom helps her study for tests sometimes. “If I find out I have an assignment or something, I text my mom and [ask her to] leave a sticky note on the kitchen table for when I get home.”
Walker said she’s tried using a planner and not found them helpful. So sticky notes really do work best for her since she’s a visual person.
Being so busy can make having downtime and social time challenging for Walker. She does her best to fit everything in, even if it’s just hanging out on the couch with her family after a game.
“I really value those moments and use that as my time to decompress, because that’s important,” she said.
When it comes to the future, Walker plans to be a third-grade teacher. She was inspired to go this route by her own third-grade teacher. She’s a direct admit to Ball State University but is also considering other schools like Indiana University.
If she looks back on her high school years, Walker said she’d tell younger students to find little ways to stay motivated to push through hard days. Sometimes something as simple as picking out a cute outfit for the next day can be motivating.
“High school is definitely an adjustment,” Walker said. “Don’t get super upset over losing friends, losing experiences, because more will come. I’m really grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had here. I could not imagine my high school experience anywhere else.”
421 S Walnut St #2459, Muncie, IN 47305
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