By Sean Smith
Question: How long have you lived in Mashpee and how is it different from your old town? If you have lived here your whole life, how has it changed?
Answer: “I believe I’ve lived here 11 years like coming up this summer. I used to live in Falmouth. I feel like they’re not that different. I feel like the neighborhood I used to live in, we didn’t really talk to many of our neighbors. There was this one old lady that I’d go help her like take groceries out of her car and stuff all the time but now I don’t live in a neighborhood so I don’t really talk to any of my neighbors. So I feel like that, like the community is a little more welcoming. Your neighbors were like your pals. And here we kind of just keep to ourselves. I mean like, maybe you could be friends with your neighbors, but I don’t have any neighbors anymore so.”
Q: What has been your favorite memory of high school so far?
A: “This year, I feel like a my friend group kind of got a lot closer together; like one of my friends came back from a different school and we gained a couple new friends this year and like we’re all really close now. And so I feel like that is a really important thing to find in high school and I feel really happy that it finally came together because I’ve like switched friends all the time in previous years so it’s cool that I have like a core group of friends.”
Question: How long have you lived in Mashpee and how is it different from your old town? If you have lived here your whole life, how has it changed?
Answer: “I believe I’ve lived here 11 years like coming up this summer. I used to live in Falmouth. I feel like they’re not that different. I feel like the neighborhood I used to live in, we didn’t really talk to many of our neighbors. There was this one old lady that I’d go help her like take groceries out of her car and stuff all the time but now I don’t live in a neighborhood so I don’t really talk to any of my neighbors. So I feel like that, like the community is a little more welcoming. Your neighbors were like your pals. And here we kind of just keep to ourselves. I mean like, maybe you could be friends with your neighbors, but I don’t have any neighbors anymore so.”
Q: What has been your favorite memory of high school so far?
A: “This year, I feel like a my friend group kind of got a lot closer together; like one of my friends came back from a different school and we gained a couple new friends this year and like we’re all really close now. And so I feel like that is a really important thing to find in high school and I feel really happy that it finally came together because I’ve like switched friends all the time in previous years so it’s cool that I have like a core group of friends.”
Q: As a Junior at Mashpee High School, what advice would you give to incoming Freshman?
A: “Always try hard. Like, there are some classes you might think are totally easy and you don’t have to try, but you should always be like confident in your work that you’re turning in. I feel like I used to slack off on a lot of my work and not do reading and then come back to class for like a class discussion and then not have anything to put into the conversation. So I feel like you should always do your homework, try your best, and really just put your best foot forward in everything you do.”
Q: How difficult has the stress of finding a college been? Do you have any schools in mind?
A: “So stressful. I cannot even express how stressful it is. Like, I’ve been trying to like look at colleges from the start of my friend going off to college. When I was in 8th grade I started thinking about it and here I am, a Junior, and I still have no idea what college I want to go to or even have a group of colleges I’m thinking about. Because of how many different circumstances there are for each college...There’s just so many options and so many colleges and preferences, it’s so stressful. I know I definitely want to apply to Penn State, but who knows if I’ll get in.”
Q: Have you decided on a carrer you are interested in pursuing. If so what?
A: “Yes, I want to be a speech language pathologist and I prefer to work with like young kids at either a school or private practice.”
Q: As a dancer, what do you love most about it? What keeps you going?
A: “I’ve been doing it since I was like 2, so I feel like it’s just something I can naturally do...One of the things I love is the friendships and relationships I’ve gained from it. I have danced with a very vast group of people that changes all the time...For the most part we are very close knit...Second thing I love is being able to go to the studio after a long or stressful day and being able to just forget about everything that happened that day and be with the people that I love and care about and just dance...You’re there just to dance, and just do that.”
Q: Who is your biggest role model?
A: “My stepmom because-so my real mom ended up leaving me and my dad by the time I was like one or maybe younger than that and my step mom was a really good friend of my dad’s so she kind of stepped up to just take care of me within the absence of my mom. And, they ended up getting married and so she’s basically just been my real mom my whole life because I never really had any contact with my biological mom...She had two kids with my dad so they’re like my half sisters so I have two younger sisters and they’re her own children but she still treats me and like cares for me as if I am her own real child. So I feel like that’s a lot of responsibility and empathy and a lot to take on that she did and that’s why I’m here today and I’m the person I am today because of her and my dad.”
Q: What do you do on your free time?
A: “I work.”
Q: Where do you work?
A: “I work at Ghelfi’s Candies in Mashpee. I usually work on like the weekends and a Friday night, so it keeps me busy. Other than that I always try to hang out with my friends, because it’s always important to have something to look forward to on the weekends or something and just going and having fun. I also do a lot of homework.”