And yet, she balances it all with precision and discipline.  Balancing my work-student-home life is a skill I’ve mastered over my high school
career. ̈ she stated. ̈…it [was] necessary for me to learn how to manage my time. ̈Another Warren senior, Alex Matthews, who is drum major with Addie this marching season, added that ̈…she manages to balance her responsibilities really well. ̈But it wasn’t always this way. ̈In my sophomore year, I had a bit of a mental breakdown from not being able to balance all of my extracurriculars with my classes. ̈ Addie explained. “After that whole thing happened, I learned how to take a step back and manage my time wisely in order to avoid burnout.”

One of the responsibilities that occupy Addie’s time is work. Entering the workforce as early as 8th grade, she has had two jobs– working at Hunt Club Park aquatic center, and more recently, as a seasonal character actor at Six Flags, which she has done over the summer and weekends
since her junior year. “Working at my job is the best thing ever. ̈ she enthused. ̈I absolutely love the entertainment/shows department. All of my coworkers are extremely talented and the work environment is overall pretty positive. ̈

Positivity is in full force as Addie dons her clown persona for the Fright Fest season–Smiley. Her job is one of the best of all: to scare. Around the park, she stalks guests alongside her coworkers, hoping to get in a few good nervous glances and maybe sneak in a jump scare or two before she clocks out for the night around midnight. But the part of the season that she enjoys most is earlier in the year. ̈…over the summer, [I love] when I get to suit up and be a looney toons character. It gets really hot in there, but it is so fun to interact with…fans. ̈ she gushed. ̈I get to make long lasting memories for people of all ages. ̈Though she works on the weekends, her weekdays are filled with studying and extracurricular activities. She is currently involved in 12 different organizations, both inside and outside of Warren.

Almost all of those she has been involved with for years, such as the non-profit Standing Ovation Theater Academy, Warren Choir, Competition Marching Band, and Theater. These extracurriculars can often be gateways to great experiences. Matthews stated that “…one of [her] favorite memories with Addie was getting to be a drum major with her this marching season, ̈ and Ava Hoxsie, a friend since kindergarten who knows Addie through drama and band, enthused that ̈…she has always been such a lively and fantastic person. ̈ Her interests aren’t just hobbies, though– she plans on following them to her future career.  

“In freshman year, I participated in the drama club’s very own Warren Theater Camp. ̈she described. ̈Students from feeder schools and our Educational Life Skills program sign up, and members of the drama club are their instructors. They put together a song and a dance to perform at live arts at the end of the two week run. When I participated in this, I was thrown into the Music Director position.  This meant that I was completely responsible for teaching a bunch of elementary schoolers how to sing and learn music. I was nervous at first, but then I found my spark. I realized I wanted to teach and help kids learn. ̈

This spark led her down the path of music education, which she ̈plan[s] on studying…when [she] goes] to college. ̈ She added, ̈I think my main purpose in life is to teach. It comes naturally to me and I love being a helpful person…I’ve had great experiences with my music teachers, and I want to bring the same peace and happiness to the next generation of kids.” 

But when she ́s not working or focusing on any of her wide range of extracurriculars, Addie ̈…also enjoy[s] playing video games, baking, and painting. I’ve been playing a lot of Terraria lately and baking lots of things for my family and boyfriend. ̈ Though what occupies the rest of her time is something far more uncommon. “This is a really great story. ̈ she recounted. ̈My entire life, I’ve been surrounded by animals. I had two cats growing up, as well as a dog. Around 4th grade, my mom enrolled me in this animal education youth group. We met once a month over the span of a few months and we got to learn about animal behavior and what vets do. The people that ran the group also owned a non-profit humane society called Animal Education And Rescue. My mom got to know the owners and other foster families, and often watched their livestreams on Facebook. By this time, all of my childhood pets had passed on, and the only animal in my house was my brother. One day, when I was in 5th grade, my parents were volunteering at a pet store when a couple suddenly surrendered their puppy to the organization. All of the foster families were full and couldn’t take her in. So, in a moment of emergency, my parents decided to take the dog in and begin fostering.”

Ever since, fostering pets has been a crucial part of Addie’s life– it was even the subject of her college essay. ̈I spend a lot of time with my foster animals. ̈ she explained. ̈I currently have 10 cats and 2 dogs. ̈In her opinion, the best part about fostering is that ̈…you get to know so many different personalities. ̈ Plus, ̈It also connects you to something larger than yourself. I have met so many great volunteers and have gotten the opportunity to educate people on animal behaviors and how to understand them.  I have fostered countless animals, including dogs of all sizes, cats of different personalities, and even rats! Fostering has become such a key part of my life, I wouldn’t have it any other way. ̈

Addie has done a lot in her four years of high school at Warren.  “I definitely feel like I belong at Warren. There are so many things I can do that are within my interests. ̈ she beamed. ̈I really believe that anyone who goes here will find a great group of friends and a club or extracurricular that suits them. ̈If you want to get involved with a Warren organization, Addie suggests that you …get…in contact with someone who is currently in that club. ̈ Or, if you know her, she’d happily ̈…offer support by joining [you] in said extracurricular activities. ̈ After all, she’s …done this before. ̈