Audrey Brown is an accomplished junior student at Jimmy and has many reputable achievements. Apart from many accomplishments—an NHS member, president of TAFE, UIL participant, and member of the Psi Alpha Psychology Club— she is also a choir student, a role which comes with many responsibilities.
Audrey hopes to increase her rank and do more as part of the choir. Last year, she struggled to keep up and noticed herself putting in less effort, letting her group down when she was needed. Now, she vows to be more focused on it as part of her academic duties and as a passionate interest.
“Things got hectic with testing and all kinds of stuff at Jimmy Carter,” she explains. “And when I was busy with that, I started to neglect my choir group. So this year, I want to make sure that I’m actively paying attention to that part of my life and my education, to ensure that I’m there when they need me and that I’m doing everything I’m supposed to. “
For Audrey, choir is an important part of life; she started in elementary school and has loved it since. She feels it’s fulfilling; blending in with a bigger group, learning skills she otherwise wouldn’t have, and having a general love for singing and music makes choir a rewarding experience. “I like music,” Audrey remarks. “Choir is just the natural progression of that.”
Being in the choir means Audrey has the opportunity to engage in skill sets that aren’t necessary at school:
- Reading music sheets.
- Collaborating with her section.
- Being able to take criticism are key to performance.
Audrey has struggled with procrastination, which she credits as one of her most significant issues at work. She has missed choir often due to events at Jimmy and wants to coordinate more with her director and section this year to ensure she still participates. “One step that I definitely can take to make sure that I’m getting that balance between school here and the choir is making sure that I’m like checking in with my director all the time,” she states.
Being involved in choir, college, and various academically challenging extracurriculars, Audrey knows the ins and outs of stress very intimately. When asked about any advice she’d give to those struggling academically, she encourages others to ask for help and to be kind to themselves.
“I’ve spent a lot of time beating myself up over missing things or things falling through the cracks,” she begins. “But, let yourself live. Don’t spend time being a perfectionist because it will drive you up the wall; you won’t get anywhere. Be forgiving with yourself and others because we’re all having similar experiences here.”
Audrey’s experience with stress and managing her workload is not unique; almost everyone has struggled with schoolwork at some point, but Audrey’s advice reflects the importance of something a lot of people tend to neglect when it comes to school: self-care.