From school to dance, ice skating, and guitar, sophomore Rachel D. has a lot on her plate. She is constantly busy participating in activities, while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. However, this busy schedule does not bother Rachel, it merely is a motivation to work harder. As a St. Mary Magdalen graduate, Rachel was well-prepared before coming to Padua Academy. “It was an easy transition,” Rachel stated, “it seemed like the right fit for me.” This plays an important role in her efforts to balance her school, sports, and social life.
Since the age of ten, Rachel’s life has mostly revolved around ice skating. When she was in fourth grade, she took lessons to learn how to skate. During one of her classes, an international coach, who taught Olympian Johnny Weir, picked Rachel out of her group and asked to coach her for the summer. Since then, Rachel has competed in many local skating competitions and she has placed in nearly all of them.
In looking for a change and a way to shake up her daily routine, Rachel tried out for the dance team during the 2012-2013 school year. Lucky enough, earlier this year, the Padua Academy Dance Team received an amazing opportunity to perform for during the Knicks vs Pacers basketball game in Madison Square Garden. Rachel felt blessed to have this experience in the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena,’ let alone share it with her dance team. “It was absolutely the chance of the lifetime,” she said. “I knew that I would never get to do anything like that again in my life, and I savored each moment.”
In her spare time, Rachel also plays the acoustic guitar. She started in 8th grade, when her mom taught her a few chords. She learned most of the basic skills from her mom, but she now takes lessons once a week from a guitarist of a local band that is starting to gain some popularity with a couple thousand fans. With her day being so crazy, Rachel admits music to be one of the more calm and fun parts of it, as she finally has some time to relax.
While at Padua, Rachel has maintained first honors throughout her freshman and sophomore year, simultaneously taking guitar lessons, ice skating every day, and participating on the dance team. When asked about her very busy schedule, Rachel said that she is okay on her school work if she stays on task. “My schedule is usually one thing after another and I don’t get a lot of breaks,” she added, “but I enjoy staying busy, so it’s alright with me.”