Profiles in education: Halie Gonzalez

Student: Halie Gonzalez, Enochs High senior

Background: Halie will join sister Kaysie at Harvard this fall, the youngest of four Gonzalez siblings who all have launched from Enochs to Ivy League schools. Brother John graduated from Yale and sister Sofie is a freshman at Princeton.

How do your favorite teachers make class interesting? The classes I tend to enjoy the most are very hands-on and interactive. I really enjoy it when a teacher makes an effort to communicate with the class and get us involved. I also just enjoy learning new things. Subjects like psychology, European history, chemistry, and calculus, just to name a few, are really enjoyable, and I think even if my teachers were evil goblins with no personality I would still enjoy those classes (be assured my teachers have been quite the opposite). All of the teachers I’ve had at Enochs have been incredibly supportive, yet tough, and the challenges they’ve presented have made me truly appreciate all the subjects I’ve had the privilege of learning.

What do you see yourself doing in 10 years? I hope to have a stable job and income ... working at a respectable company that I believe in. I’m still undecided on what profession I want to go into. ... I also plan to help financially support and help take care of my parents. Other than this, I can’t really predict the future – nor do I want to.

How can other students do what you do? What really works for me is writing in my planner and mapping out my life to help reduce stress. There have been days when I’m so unorganized that I forget to study for tests or can’t focus because of everything going on.

I think it’s really important to explore every extracurricular, sport or club you’re interested in. At Enochs, we have Club Rush every year, and I remember freshman year I tried out for too many clubs. Because I did this, however, I was able to find activities that I really enjoyed.

Balance is very important to have in order to deal with all of the different aspects of my life. You need to know when to stay in to study for that math test as well as when it’s OK to stop studying, take an hour break, and regroup. This also applies to extracurriculars. Balance is what has kept me relatively stress-free.

I can’t forget my family, either. I’ve been blessed with really supportive and amazing parents, and I know not everyone has the kind of support system I have from them and the rest of my family. They are an integral part of why I’ve remained in one piece these past few years; it’s important to find people to have your back.

This story was originally published January 28, 2017 at 2:32 PM with the headline "Profiles in education: Halie Gonzalez."