Whitney Walters is a senior this year. After a pleasant talk with her about her high school experience, here’s what I found out. Whitney says that one of her most memorable moments is when she joined Cross Country last minute. On the way back from a Kalispell meet, one of her teammates bought a whole baguette and ate it on the bus. The whole team proceeded to call him “Baguette Boy.” Another one of Whitney’s most memorable moments was the lockdown that happened in early 2019. She says that she physically and emotionally got closer to her class because they were locked in a cello closet for five hours. Her third memorable moment was when she got her first B in Human Anatomy class. She remembers thinking it was a big deal, but looking back on it now, she sees that as a turning point. Grades aren’t everything, and not caring about your grades as much as she did, is okay. Although it was hard to pick a favorite class, Whitney has enjoyed playing the violin in orchestra the most. After the school year is over, she won’t be playing it anymore in a class, so she is soaking it up while it lasts. When asked about her favorite teacher, she says that she loves all of her teachers but she enjoyed Mrs. Allison’s class last year for AP Language. Whitney says that Mrs. Allison is just an amazing teacher and individual. Also Ms. Sobin who is a phenomenal Health Care Occupations teacher. I had Mr. Lochridge for three years, and I really liked his teaching style; he was just a great Spanish teacher. All the math teachers at Sentinel are also good and have all taught me a lot. Whitney is attending the Honors College next year at MSU. She talks a little bit about the interview process and gives some advice to anyone who is thinking of applying for an honors college. Whitney says that she is excited to have a change in scenery, and she applied for the Presidential Scholarship. This application was also an application for the honors college. When she got the call that she was a finalist and admitted into the honors college, she was super excited and ready for the challenge. Whitney says that she owes it to the teachers that gave her great letters of recommendation. It was a long process, but it was worth it in the end.

Some advice she would give is to be ready for a challenge. If something is difficult that doesn’t mean it’s something to be afraid of. Whitney says she has been a part of many different clubs and activities like Key Club, HOSA, Prom Committee, and NHS. The advice she would give to underclassmen would be don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and talk to others. She encourages others to join clubs and get involved in the community. Underclassmen should never be afraid to ask for help, and there is no shame in being behind, but asking for help when you need it is super important.