The feeling when you wake up in the morning and daylight peaks through your window as warm sunlight cascades across your face is a peaceful reminder that a new day has begun, but for others, their mornings start before the sun rises. 

High school is full of opportunities, which is why many students take advantage of all the extracurriculars and clubs the school offers. 

Special activities like marching band, theater, dance, and show choir are common high-maintenance classes, and just taking one can alter your high school experience. Many students’ schedules may feature one fine arts class, but the students with multiple demanding fine arts classes go unnoticed as they work feverishly to make time for each one.

Nex Mountain (12) participates in theater, band, and main stage productions while also balancing a job on the side. His daily schedule consists of taking part in the Jazz club in the mornings, then band to acting class, while staying at school until 10 p.m in after-school productions.

“I don’t [have time]. I’m very much out of time. I take nine classes, and I just take online classes, that way I can fit in a full eight-block in-person schedule,” Nex said. “I do that, and then I’m very tired.”

As Nex’s schedule gets filled up with heavy lifting classes, in the end, it helps him prepare for the future of their passion to major in an art degree. After growing up, taking an unusual amount of fine art classes changed their outlook of the future by making a clear path instead of a foggy trail of uncertainty.

“Yes, I really want to be a high school band professor when I grow up, that is my absolute dream,” Nex said.

Throughout their high school experience, Nex picked up several talents such as playing the French horn, clarinet, trumpet, alto saxophone, flute, trombone and Baritone with his journey from starting French horn in sixth grade. Due to his extensive history with musical instruments, he quickly realized that not every person knows how to play multiple instruments, which directed him to want to be a band professor.

With the help of a schedule chalked full of classes, his dedication to his classes improves his daily life at school by seeing it as an opportunity to grow instead of an obligation.

“100% these [fine art classes] are definitely the reasons that I like high school.” Nex said. “Like you come and you want to see your friends, you want to only see the teachers that you want to see, and you want to take the classes that you enjoy taking.” 

Even with all these new passions collected over the years, Nex still faces a daily trial of finding ambition as overcrowded schedules make it a struggle to find time to relax or fit in preferred classes.

 “Sometimes you have to take that extra step.” Nex said. “I struggle with motivation a lot, and it gets really easy to fall into a habit of being, like, it doesn’t matter, because I’ll just disappoint myself. That’s such a bad hole to slip into. You just gotta push and make it”

With the Hickman school curriculum, Nex and many others can choose from a variety of classes, which don’t just stop at fine arts classes, and now anyone from anywhere can become and grow into a different person just by taking one class. Variety is what makes us different, and that shouldn’t go to waste.

“We’re the most diverse high school. I mean, clearly, we take pride in that with all of our home decor.” Nex said

“We have a lot of different clubs here. Like, there are some clubs that I didn’t even know existed. Whenever we do the curricular fair, you get to see them all, like, everybody’s, likes, at a different club.”

Justin Moegling (11) took part in a full eight-class schedule as a junior with non-stop rehearsals after school since January. He also participated in the show choir in early February. Even with teachers working side by side to make sure concert days don’t get mixed up and placed around the same time, Justin often finds himself picking which one to prioritize depending on the season 

“Well, I don’t get a lot of free time, specifically the month of February, that’s when the show choir season was,” Justin said.

There are some months that are still a challenge, but Justin couldn’t envision it any other way as he takes pride in his dedication in his classes. “I feel like everybody should have some kind of club they do, a reason for them to be at the school, other than just, like, graduating and taking classes,” Justin said.

Justin views his time at Hickman as one of many great opportunities that happened to him. Without the diversity of the school clubs and extracurriculars, Justin and many others would be stuck in a repetitive cycle without a passion or joy to take part in.

“That’s where I’ve, like, seen myself grow and become a leader in that place.” Justin said. “This is what I want to stick with for the rest of high school, because this is just so much fun, and this is now my identity in high school.”

From being an introvert in middle school to becoming a leader and more social, Justin has seen himself flourish in his newfound family as he opens up more and allows himself to relax and enjoy his life to the fullest.

“I would describe [Hickman] as kind of a place of opportunity.” Justin said.

Kris Brooks (10) participates in concert band, general band and marching band. Marching band season started on the last day of June and continues into the school year. Students must arrive at 7:15 a.m. for rehearsals.  school year making her arrive at school at 7:15 a.m

“While that’s really hard, I personally think it’s really fun, and it’s a really rewarding experience, even though it’s long hours.” Kris said.

Multiple band classes have become a pillar of her life. It has allowed her to give back to her community.  “I think all of the clubs and the different communities are what make Hickman what it is. I think without that, I think Hickman would just be very boring, uninteresting,” Kris said. “I feel like everyone has a place where they fit here at Hickman.”

While growing through band Kris finds it as a foundation for her future career path as a teacher by the growth as it puts her in an impromptu leadership position.

“I personally think it’s a really rewarding experience to be in a club or a community like band,” Kris said. “I think having band or, doing art or something like that, is a really good way to be able to have a place where you can have fun within school.”