Siblings can be the biggest rivals and the best role models. These current students decided to follow in the footsteps of their older siblings, alumni of LZHS. 

Derrick Juarez, Senior Varsity Football

Older siblings: Jordan, 2014 graduate, wore jersey #1 on varsity football; Gill, 2013 graduate, wore jersey #19 on varsity football.

What is your motivation to play football?
That would be friends and family, they really inspire me to do better. I look up to them and I love to compete. They inspire me because I don’t want to let them down and I’m really competitive so I just try to be better than them in anyway possible.

How have your siblings influenced you?
I would always try to do better than them and do more because we would brag to each other and make fun of each other. It gives them the upper hand and they respect you more, but I think it is good to be competitive with your siblings.

What compliment(s) do you have for Jordan and Gill?
I love how they always push me and they are not afraid to say anything to me. For an example, they would say, “why are you missing tackles? Why are you being so lazy? Go workout! Why aren’t you studying? Do your homework now, bum.”

What criticism do you have for your brothers?
(Sarcasm) Well I am the best one and a lot of people always tease me about that, like I am not the best one but whatever, I don’t really care, it’s hard to say. They are better than me in some things but I am a little bit of both of them because I am one of the youngest.

Do you ever play against your brothers?
In practices I wrestle with my brother and they like to compete in football in a scrimmage sort of thing.

Do you plan to do football in college?
Yes I do, but my brothers don’t play anymore. I don’t know where I want to go.

Sarah Sobol, Sophomore Theater

Sibling: Rachel Sobol, 2016 graduate, now pursuing BFA Major in fine arts at Texas Christian University, New School Theater Program.

What is your motivation to do theater?
I have done lots of things in the Fine Arts department like theater and dance from a really young age because I watched my sister do all of it. At age three, I wanted to play piano because she was playing piano. I really got into theater from dance because my sister was in dance. I would sit and watch her and I always wanted to be like her. And then I got into dance at my preschool and they always did plays and shows and as a child I wanted to be the center of attention.

How did Rachel motivate you?
When I was little, I really looked up to her and I always did what she wanted to do. She always had a lot of success in [performing] and she really enjoyed doing it, but that is not something I want to pursue. I am thinking about doing something in the math or science field, but we enjoy what we do and we enjoy doing it together.

What compliments do you have for your sister?
She is very talented and she is a great singer, but it is nerve racking when I have to perform in front of her because she criticizes me, which is kind of funny for me.

Do you ever feel competitive with Rachel?
Well, given that we were never up for the same roles and given that we are three years apart and we were only in high school together for one year, I didn’t really feel competitive but I wanted to impress her and I wanted her approval.

Why do you want to impress your sister?
Well I always knew she was really good, like people we didn’t even know would always come up to her after shows and tell her how good she did. I wanted people to say things like that to me and I knew she wouldn’t lie to me if she thought I sounded good then I was confident enough to go on stage.

What makes you different from Rachel?
Well first off, she is a superior singer, but I think she is more focused on it. Also this is something that she wants to do for the rest of her life.

Do you ever feel pressured to fill her shoes?
A bit, like when I was younger people would always call me “mini Rachel” or I would be in a show with her and people would expect me to hit the high notes, but we don’t have the same voice or the same range. It’s hard when people know what she is capable of and they don’t know me that well and don’t know what I am capable of. I never liked when people told me that my sister and I had the same talking voice and I denied it for years and I hated it.

Lydia Snyder, Sophomore Symphony Orchestra

Sibling: Kevin Snyder, 2016 graduate, now studying Symphony Orchestra at University of Illinois Champaign Urbana

What is your motivation to perform?
Music is really important to me and I probably would not have joined orchestra if it were not for Kevin who joined the music program before me. He’s my older brother and I look up to him a lot and his passion and love for music made me want to join Orchestra.

What compliment do you have for him?
He has worked really hard to get where he is (University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra) and making State ILMEA last year, it’s a really big accomplishment.

Do you feel competitive with Kevin?
Yeah I do, being siblings, we are competitive a lot with a lot of things, but we each want to do the best in music.

Do you plan to continue with music?
I really do want to continue with music into my life even if I don’t major in it or have a career in music. I still want to be involved and maybe do community orchestras. Orchestra is a really great thing to be involved with and it’s just a really big part of me and my brothers lives. It’s a really great hobby and it is really fun and you can learn a lot working with the group and all the other kids. Pushing yourself to practice is also really important.

What about your younger sibling?
She is in orchestra now and she kinda joined orchestra because of me and my brother, but I am not sure if  she is as motivated as me and Kevin are.