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The student news site of Clayton High School.

The Globe

The student news site of Clayton High School.

The Globe

Unconventional Paths

Joy

JOY GAGE

“My life up until this point has been a marathon,” Joy Gage said. “Between school and practice I’ve developed a perpetual state of focus where I don’t really get to take in the world around me – a kind of survival mechanism to conserve energy and time.”
Since a young age, Gage has dedicated 20 plus hours weekly to gymnastics, with a lifelong goal to be fulfilled next year at Cornell University: joining a Division I team.
“The sport keeps me constantly learning—not just new physical skills, but inner skills, like discipline and resilience that will help me take on the real world,” she said. “There are only about 200 slots at Division I schools in the country every year and you are up against gymnasts who are in the Olympics, my list of possibilities got very short very fast.”
After seeing the school and meeting its bonded gymnasts, experienced coaches and the welcoming team, however, Gage committed. Gage is excited to study at the College of Human Ecology while exploring the outdoors of Cornell’s rural, natural setting and to spend time in her perfectly sized college town, Ithaca.
With less practice hours and looser class hours in college, her schedule will be more lenient. “I am excited to dabble in the little stuff — maybe read a magazine, or actually have time to socialize, or maybe just listen to different types of music and learn something — and become a more well-rounded person,” Gage said.
A drastic schedule change however — from a tight quotidian routine to one with longer breaks — is also the source for Gage’s worries.
“Procrastination has never been much of an option since the trade-off would mean having to stay up late on a different night and be miserable at practice the next day,” she said.
With more free time in college, Gage will have to re-learn time management to stay on top of her work.
Unlike the typical college gym team of 15-20 girls, Cornell’s has 26. Gage expects that the gym team will be her social base, where valuable, long-lasting relationships will be fostered by shared interests and goals.
“I will be ready for some new faces and stories,” Gage said. “I don’t want gymnastics to define me, and I think Cornell will provide me the time and opportunities I need to develop other sides of who I am while still doing what I love.” 

 

AmitArmyClaire

AMIT MICHAELSON

Amit Michaelson’s home next year will be far from a college dorm. Through the Tzofim (Israeli scouts) program “Garin Tzabar,” he will serve for the Israeli Army for at least the next three years.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted — both my parents and all my mom’s side served. I’m not sure what I’ll do, but most likely either combat or engineering,” he said.
The group of young Zionists will be placed in kibbutzim — traditional, collaborative, democratic communities around Israel. After enlisting in November, Michaelson will be a part of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), one of the world’s most professional, supreme and powerful fighting forces.
Unlike most Israeli scouts, Michaelson’s American citizenship, in duality with his Israeli citizenship, exempts him from being legally obligated to serve in the army. Nonetheless, Michaelson views protecting Israel as an honor and an opportunity, a zeal also common amongst Israeli scouts not serving out of pure initiative.
“I think that this will prepare me for the challenges I will face in life,” he said. “I think I’ll know what I want better and I’ll know better how to deal with the stress and hardship I will experience later.”
The capacities fortified in the IDF have long been integral parts of Michaelson’s character. Michaelson is a leader in the St. Louis chapter of Israel’s National Scouting Organization for co-ed youth of 4th grade through high school.
“We focus on Zionism and Jewish values; we also teach camping, cooking on fires and have a style of building special to our branch,” he said.
Well equipped with his values and enthusiasm, Michaelson is ready to embark on the next chapter of his life with his right foot forward. “I’m looking forward to living in Israel, discovering more about myself.” 

 

 

MeganDebateClaireMEGAN NIERMANN

Megan Niermann found the ideal way to further immerse herself in her passions, narrow down her future and broaden her experiences without the dreaded stress of college applications. Though City Year, Niermann will be teaching at an Oklahoma school starting next fall.

“I didn’t feel ready for the pressure that college was; I wanted to step away from such a highly competitive academic environment for a year,” she said. “I was also excited about going to Tulsa, Oklahoma as I had never lived out of the Midwest. I believe this experience will help me not only in college the year after next, but for the rest of my life.”
City Year, a branch of Americorps, focuses on teaching kids in under-served urban school districts by bringing young adult volunteers aged 17-24. Niermann, thankful for the academic and interpersonal skills that she has developed at CHS, is excited to help students who have been disadvantaged.
“At the same time, I’m nervous that the level of privilege I have had throughout my life will make it difficult to relate to students who have had many things to get through. I think I’ll need to make sure that I remember that not everyone has access to the opportunities I have,” Niermann said.
Working 10 to 12 hour school days for 10 months, Niermann will tutor middle school students in Math and English. Additionally, she hopes to establish a speech and debate team. Since freshman year at CHS, Speech and Debate has been Niermann’s most intensive extracurricular — a formative part of her essence.
“I’ll be bringing elements of debate into the classroom,” she said. “I postponed my plans to compete in college debate in order to coach; I hope that my passion for the activity will be able to shine through in the next year.”
While imparting her communication and critical thinking skills to the Tulsa students, Niermann will be fortifying her vision for the future. Niermann, who intends to study urban education and coaching speech, debate, and interpretation, believes that the City Year program will help reaffirm that this should be her career path.
“Most importantly, it’ll allow me to begin to understand how amazing the students I’ll be working with for the rest of my life are and how serious my commitment to them is,” she said.
The application for the selective program consisted of Niermann’s responses, recommendations and interviews. Nonetheless, the way Niermann has applied herself thus far and plans to dedicate herself in the future aremost central to the innovative path that she has begun to create. 

 

MAC RECHAN

MacTennisClaire

If Mac Rechan had a stressful first semester, it was not because of college applications. Rechan’s process of determining his collegiate future has been different than most, due to a high demand for his tennis skills at top universities such as Georgetown, Brown, Yale, Cornell and UPenn. Since freshman year, Rechan has represented the CHS varsity tennis team, and is currently ranked first in Missouri and 116th in the nation.
Starting in the fall, Rechan will confront both bigger competition and higher academic rigor.
“I’m probably most nervous about balancing playing tennis in college and keeping up with my academics,” he said. “Most kids say that it takes some getting used to, and because [my prospective schools] have such strong academic reputations, keeping up with school somewhat worries me.”
However, Rechan’s discipline and dedication are sure to maintain him in place. After all, such potent combination of academics and athletics are also what enthuse Rechan the most.
Rechan plans to be a business major next year. However, his love for challenge and activity will not cease to drive his passion for tennis.
“I’ve always loved to compete, which makes tennis very appealing to me and keeps me wanting to play the game going forward.”
Although Rechan does not envision tennis a feasible part of his professional life, he will continue playing recreationally beyond college. 

 

 

 

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Unconventional Paths