Senior Ariana Dawson is a well-rounded student; she is a member of the National Honor Society and an accomplished athlete on the tennis, sideline cheer, sideline dance, and competitive dance teams, all while working part-time at a restaurant. She is a great example of a focused goal-driven student. In this article she talks about her life now as a senior and all throughout high school all while giving advice to underclassmen.
How do you balance your life with work and extracurriculars all while staying focused in school?
I learned to have good time management skills so I am able to stay focused and organized. When I’m in school I make sure I get all my work done so when I get home I have time to decompress. For me, decompressing is getting good rest.
What was your experience with grades and what helped you be consistent regarding grades throughout high school?
At first, I struggled to adapt to the workload given in high school as a result I began keeping out distractions making sure I kept school a priority. When choosing between tasks I would think about what matters the most in the long run. I wasn’t used to having homework every single day and having to do more at home. I had to actually start preparing and studying for assessments in class. I maintained good grades by not being afraid to reach out for help from peers and teachers.
What is the most challenging task you faced as a senior and what did you do to overcome it?
I would say the most challenging task as a senior is continuing to be motivated to do all my work or to still try in school even though I’m almost done, and I overcome it by thinking about the future and knowing that all the work I’m doing now will end up paying off in the long run. I feel like I’m so close to finishing and continuing to do this amount of work sometimes feels pointless.
What advice do you have for underclassmen and incoming freshmen?
Advice I would give to underclassmen and incoming freshmen is to get good grades and try in school because it pays off in the end it makes your senior year easier and less stressful. I wish someone told me to not stress myself out too much over grades and that it’s okay to get a bad grade once in a while so you can learn from your mistakes. If I could go back and change I wouldn’t have done anything differently.
What is your position in tennis and what do you like most about playing?
I play doubles in tennis and what I like about playing tennis is how active it makes me and playing in more intense matches. I think the most intense moment in tennis is towards the end of the game when you’re going neck to neck with your opponent. Out of all Carlson gave me the biggest challenge. Me and Alania communicate well and support each other by getting the ball when the other cannot.
What has been the highlight of your senior year?
The highlight of my senior year has to be seeing all the work I put in, the long nights, and all the studying I had to do paying off. I put in a lot of work by making sure I turn all my assignments in on time and putting in extra time to study for tests and quizzes.
If you were told you couldn’t graduate unless you could prove your achievements from the past four years what three examples would you use?
Three examples I would use are all the extracurricular activities I’ve been involved in for the past four years, my grades, and my commitment and determination to be able to participate in extracurricular activities and still maintain my grades.
Where do you imagine yourself 10 years from now?
In ten years I imagine myself out of college with my degree and pursuing my dream profession or traveling around the world. I’m going to Mercer University for my bachelor’s degree in nursing and my dream profession is a travel neonatal nurse. I want to travel to Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and Jamaica.
What song will always remind you of this time in your life and why?
The song that reminds me of this time of my life is W.A.Y.S by Jhene Aiko. This song reminds me of these years because there were plenty of times I didn’t want to smile in high school. That song is motivating. The song repeats “you gotta keep going” to me it means even when time gets hard you have to push through.
When you look back at this school in later years what will you remember most about your experience?
I will remember all the memories I made while participating in sports throughout my high school years. The friendships I made and memories I created with them are the highlights of my high school experience. A memory that will stay with me is when I went horseback riding with my friend Alania and she almost fell off the horse. I remember when I moved to Georgia me and my sisters were walking around the neighborhood. We saw something coming towards us and we didn’t know what it was until we got closer and it was a snake so we all ran and we never looked back. I would say throughout high school there were good times and bad times overall. I’d say my experience was good.
