By Daniel Maiorana, Current Writer
It is one thing to excel in the classroom, and it is another to excel outside of the classroom, but senior Zach Lee manages to do both. Taking high level classes ever since his freshman year, Zach is very familiar with the constant stress of AP and GT classes. Zach is also a captain on the tennis team, this year being his fourth and final year playing for the Hawks. Focusing on academics along with extracurriculars such as clubs and honors societies, Zach always has his hands full during the school year.
Finding free time to complete all his homework was another struggle Zach faced. Being busy is what fueled him to become better in the classroom, because feeling stressed from school meant that he was challenging himself. “For me, I tried to get my schoolwork done during the day or whenever I had free time, so on the bus or free periods.” Efficiency is key for Zach, as no time during the day can be wasted with a schedule as jam-packed as his. The hardest days for Zach was when he had a big test to prepare for and an important match that followed. “I tried to take one challenge at a time,” said Zach when asked how he managed his schedule during the tennis season. For Zach, stress from tennis and stress from school were completely separate, as he felt he was in a completely different state of mind when on and off the court. When playing, Zach was able to block out whatever school work he had to study for, and focus only on his opponents on the other side of the net. Even though playing the sport he loves is a big stress reliever, Zach says he would rather study to take his mind off of any stressful thoughts, which proves how dedicated he is with his academics.
When tennis season comes around, Zach knows that every day will be longer than usual, with already having to study for exams and now having to practice after school for another two hours. Zach likes to plan his day in advance to ensure that he can get all of his schoolwork done with enough time to relax at night after a long practice. Zach always knew that academics are more important, so he chooses to dedicate more time to studying rather than perfecting his craft on the court.
Playing tennis after high school was only a thought to Zach during his freshman year, because he knew he had the potential to do so it was just a matter of wanting to get to that level. Zach decided that focusing on extracurriculars and academics was the smartest choice for him, and it has paid off, as he has been accepted into many prestigious academic universities. He will continue his academic journey at Georgetown University, showing how hard work pays off. He will not play tennis at Georgetown though, as he wants to focus on preparing for high level classes, and Zach decided that he wouldn’t be comfortable with all that extra stress.
What any other student athlete can learn from Zach is his determination and passion for both school and sports. Dedicating two parts of your life to two different things at the same time is very demanding on anyone. The constant thought of, “I wonder if I failed that test,” or, “how will I have time to finish this project with my match today,” was something Zach had to continuously deal with. When his high school career is all set in stone, he will have many positives to look back on, because all of his hard work paid off in the end.