In just four years of high school, students will have changed so many times that it becomes second nature. This is a place for experimentation, where it is okay to fail and fail again until getting it right  and where a sense of identity is found. It is the skills and mentality harnessed here, that will carry you into adulthood. Although they are not related, seniors Sarah Miller, Jason Miller, and Catherine Miller have more in common than just their last name; they have all found themselves through their own, personal high school experiences.

Sarah Miller, senior

Past: “Freshman year I was so eager to participate in every activity and was involved in numerous clubs. It wasn’t til the end of freshman year/beginning of sophomore year when I really focused in on things I had a passion for, like Yearbook and Volunteering at Ela Area Public Library,” Sarah said.

Present: “Looking back on my time in highschool I definitely changed a lot, multiple times; however throughout all four years I’ve always had this drive to succeed. That I take from the community around me including Mrs.Boyas and Mrs. Stanton, my yearbook advisors, all my teachers and peers, my friends, coworkers, and especially my parents, who I do not give enough credit to,” Sarah said. It is her strong work ethic and natural born leadership skills that have allowed Sarah to be so successful in school. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Yearbook, a P.E. leader, a member of the Orchestra program, had three jobs at one point, and somehow finds time to see friends.

Future: “When looking towards the future, I honestly have no clue what it will entail for me,” Miller said. “I know I plan to take classes at CLC next year, but that’s about as far as I’ve planned ahead. Honestly, whether I end up in L.A, New York, or right back here in Lake Zurich, what truly matters is the memories you make and taking each day one step at a time,” Sarah said.

Jason Miller, senior

Past: “As a freshman I was super energetic; I did Choir, Drama Club, Tech, Art Club, Interact, Habitat for Humanity, and S.N.A.P. It was safe to say that I was always busy and kind of overextend myself,” Jason said.

Present: “Even as a senior, I’m still involved in Choir, Drama Club, Tech, and Interact. But, I definitely gravitated more towards the arts, which is interesting because up until this year I planned to go to DePaul and major in musical theatre,” Jason said. He has set himself on this path and for the past few years his focus has been solely on theatre. “However, as I was filling out my college applications, I realized my heart was no longer in theatre as much. I had a much stronger inclination for science, so I completely changed paths,” Jason said.

Future: Jason plans to attend the University of Illinois next year and will be jumping into molecular and cellular biology full force. “The way I see it is if you love something, you should fully submerge yourself in it, so you can do it effectively,” Jason said.” That is why I’ve decided not to even do shows on the side during college.”

Catherine Miller, senior

Past: ““As a freshman I was definitely was that awkward freshman and I had my own friend groups, but I didn’t branch out too much. Then I began to see high school as a place that was full of possibilities, so I joined cheer and lacrosse, along with some other clubs,” Catherine said. Transitioning into sophomore year she continued cheerleading and lacrosse. She also joined student council, french club, environmental club still, and became more active in her church. Even at that young age Catherine said she would always put hard work into everything she did.

Present: “Senior year has been really fun and busy for me, I continued my involvement in school both academically and extracurricular wise, however I didn’t do lacrosse to accommodate the stresses of senior year,” Catherine said. “ I also became more social not only with my peers but with my teachers as well.”

Future: “I’ve worked very hard in high school and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me. I’ll be going to Auburn University with a double major in international business and french. I will really be challenging myself next year with classes at the honors college, I’m planning to rush, and am going to continue being social,” Catherine said. She will be attending Auburn next fall with the credits of a sophomore, due to the AP classes that she took during high school. “ It felt so rewarding to see  that all the hard work I put in during high school was really going to benefit me in college,” Catherine said. Looking beyond college, Catherine hopes to be successful in a career dealing with international business.