Throughout everybody’s life we all have had to face a very challenging time in our lives that helped us develop into the person that we are today. Alexandra Esparza has faced a lot of challenging times throughout her life inside and outside of school throughout Freshman year all the way to her Senior year now which shaped her into the bold and successful person that she is today.
When Alexandra had transferred to West High in the second semester of the school year her Freshman year, she didn’t know what she had wanted to do after High school and what extracurriculars to be involved in because at the time she was not a very inclusive person, which would change when she met a girl named Jocelyn Moran who was a Sophomore at the time.
Alexandra Esparza said “I wasn’t really sure what to get involved with, because I knew that I needed something. I wanted something for my college application” Esparza Said “Jocelyn had told me to stop by for auditions for Theater and I auditioned, and I got the lead role, and that was kind of scary because I was a freshman” Esparza said “The people who were in Theater at the time had been doing it since middle school and I was a little intimidated, but it was really fun.”
During the time Alexandra was in Theater during her Freshman and Sophomore year she had found it a little harder but she started getting more bolder and had developed a leadership role.
Esparza said “So Freshman year was a little harder because we had Ms. Kelly as our director, and half of our department had graduated, so there were only four of us.” Esparza Said “Sophomore year Ms. Wingfield, the new director who is still here came which made it a little rougher because I had already gotten used to Ms. Kelly and I was kind of protective over the department.” Esparza Said “I was like, This is the way things were done and this is the way things were done and this is how we’re supposed to do it and it was kind of rocky Sophomore year. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay in Theater or not and it was a really transformative year”
After Esparza’s very transformative Sophomore year, During her Junior year she had become a leader and now in her senior year she became very understanding and a role model for underclassmen.
Esparza Said “Junior year I was elected as vice president of the thespian members, so I had to really step up and put on a leadership role and now I’m a senior and I am just lights on and sound. Esparza Said “I wanted to step away from being on stage so we can let the new kids get used to having to run around on stage or do things like that. Esparza Said “So I kind of fell back a little this year to get the kids ready. That’s kind of how I’ve gotten through this year so far.”
As we grow up at some time during high school we get a summer job or after school job and Esparza had a challenging time in her Junior year managing her sleep schedule and keeping her grades up while being in Theater after school while keeping her after school job but she overcame that challenge.
Esparza Said “I only worked during the summer in Freshman year so I had all the time in the world.” Esparza Said “Sophomore year was where it got rocky because we got a new director and I didn’t know if I wanted to stick with it so I had a very unbalanced work life balance, so I was working all the time and I never really came to school” Esparza Said “Junior year, I knew that I needed to lock in because I was taking APS, I was vice president of the thespians and I was a manager at my job and I had responsibilities everywhere and it was stressful and exhausting but it made me feel really good knowing that I was doing things and not letting time pass by.” Esparza Said “Now, I don’t have such a big role in theater anymore so it’s a lot calmer, and I’m only taking one AP class and my job is my job. I do still work a lot but I’ve gotten better at saying that I can’t come in today.”
While overcoming the challenge of keeping her grades up she also was facing the challenge of time management but as she progressed through her Junior year she became more responsible and grew more as a person while getting better with making time for things like school and her job.
Esparza Said “I lost a lot of sleep last year but I made up for it with caffeine which was a bad thing and I do not recommend doing that but I will say my time management did get a lot better.” Esparza Said “Junior year, I feel like I was scrambling around a lot and now I have a planner and an agenda and it’s like okay I have to get to school at this time and I have to leave school at this time so I can get to work on time for my shift and I even set my availability at work like I can only work weekends because I have to be at school to do rehearsals and I have to be at school to do my school work anyways.”
When she overcame all of these challenges it made her into the bold and responsible West High Senior she is today which paid off in the end because she has an offer for college.
Esparza Said “So I actually got an offer to do theater at Butler, and they would pay for me to go there so it’s stressful and it’s kind of worrisome even though i’m a very good student and like I said, I’m only taking one AP class so it’s not as scary as it was last year. “Esparza Said “I’m just trying you know, like doing the basics like turning my homework in on time, trying to get enough sleep like as soon as I get home work I take a shower and I go to bed and with work I clock in and I do what I need to do then I clock out then I go home and it’s like do what you need to do. Esparza Said “With rehearsals it’s like okay this is what we’re doing today, I’m not leaving until I get it done but I do leave at 5:30 on the dot because I’m not staying, but just trying to get what you need to get done so that you can do what you want later.” Esparza Said “You know there’s never enough time for anything so you just gotta make time for it.”
Even though this is her last year at West High she wants the underclassmen to learn from her experience when she was overcoming these challenges.
Esparza Said “I was definitely a workaholic and I feel like this happens to a lot of people who don’t really grow up with a lot of money and they make a lot of money while working but don’t be a workaholic because you don’t need to yet because we’re in high school.” Esparza Said “I think if they have a better time management than I did and a better support system and a better focus on what you want then it’s possible.”
Lastly she wanted to let people know about this one thing she had to say.
Esparza Said “Come see our show that we’re doing if you want to get involved in theater because we’re always taking people and if you don’t want to be on stage or do costumes and stuff you don’t have to because we have people on lights because there is always a way to get involved and I promise we are always taking people.”