Meet Vaida Knepp, a Sahuaro High School junior whose journey from a non-athlete to a multifaceted star is inspiring peers and teachers alike. She joined swim and tennis in her freshman year; in her sophomore year, she joined band, playing the trumpet. She remarked, “Well, I never did any sports before high school, so when the staff for Freshmen Academy was talking about different clubs and sports the school offers, I wasn’t interested in anything until they mentioned swimming. Then I got interested because I didn’t have to do any running. I hate running. And towards the end of the swim season my freshman year, one of the seniors suggested we should join tennis. So I did, and I absolutely loved it. And I got into marching band because of my band friends.”

With all of Vaida’s after-school activities, she often has a busy schedule. “I wake up at 6:30 in the morning to get ready for school because I have zero period for marching band every day. Then I go through my whole school day, but then on Mondays after school, I go to the band room for more marching band practice. That lasts from 3:30-5:30, then I get home and do homework/study/talk to friends. On Tuesday-Friday I do the exact same thing, except instead of going to band practice, I go to swim practice (tennis season hasn’t started yet) from 3:30 to 5:15. Then I go home and do what I need to do. Weekends are definitely a nice break.” With her busy schedule, she has to have good time management to complete her school work. Normally, she doesn’t have a lot of homework, but when she does, she’ll try to do it at home after practice; sometimes she’s too tired after practice, so she’ll do it during first period if they aren’t busy. “You just have to find time to work on everything and push through it,” she stated.

Extracurriculars are somewhat stressful for the body, so for anyone doing multiple sports and clubs after school, Vaida advises to, “…pace yourself and don’t compare yourself with others. You have other things going on, whereas they may only have one activity and have more time to practice it. It’s okay to take breaks so you don’t wear yourself out or lose motivation. Also, have fun with what you’re doing. Don’t force yourself to do something you don’t have interest in, or else you will tire yourself out even more.” Vaida’s dedication to juggling three extracurriculars not only shows her passion but also serves as an inspiring example of what can be achieved with determination.