Emily B. is a sophomore at Padua Academy. Six days a week in the fall, she gathers with the Padua JV cross country team to run. After cross country season ends, track consumes her life. The Padua team practices at Baynard Stadium, Brandywine Creek, and at school. Because of Emily’s long-distance endurance, she is an excellent cross country runner—representing Padua in the two-mile, one-mile, and half-mile races.

Emily has been running since fifth grade and does not plan to stop soon. She wants to run in college, preferably at Clemson University, where her aunt went to college, or the University of North Carolina. Emily expressed her passion for running, saying, “When I run, I feel like there’s no stress on me. I’m just doing it for myself.”

Emily prefers the outdoors over staying inside her house in Pennsylvania. Her favorite season is summer because she is able to spend a lot of time with her friends. Since she does not have any sisters, she has developed a close relationship with her mother. However, she does have a 12 year-old brother. At Padua, Emily’s favorite subject is Social Studies with Mrs. Markham. She also takes Italian as a foreign language. As an adult, Emily dreams of being a family care lawyer, a job where she will not have to sit behind a desk all day.