Gabi Smith, 17

Achievements
Ranks fifth of 311 students in her class; 4.20 grade-point average; president of her school’s National Honor Society in 2008, and vice president in 2009; academic and athletic letters; math club president since 2006; student cabinet member since 2007; science club member; tutor; volleyball, tennis and basketball player; assistant at Special Olympics, Sunday school and an elementary school; eight credits at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Q&A

What do you want to do after high school?

“I’m looking to go into physical therapy and work with special-needs children.”

Where do you want to go for college?

“I’m looking to going out of state. My main thing is just to play volleyball in college. Well I have a couple that are looking at me. The main one is Fort Lewis in Durango and Fort Hays in Kansas.”

How long have you played volleyball?

“I’ve been playing for seven years. I also play tennis.”

What are your duties in NHS?

“I’m vice president. We organize getting the new members in, the new inductees this year, and kind of overlook things. We do tutoring at PLC, so we overlook that and help the sponsors overlook it.”

What do you like about NHS?

“Well it’s just a good program. It acknowledges the people that are doing great in school, but also beyond in the community.”

How do you give back in the community?

“Well I’m a helper, an assistant I guess, with Special Olympics basketball. Last year I was a tutor in ESL (English as a Second Language). Let’s see, what else? Student to Student, which helps with the new students that come into our school, like in the middle of the year — they don’t know anybody so what we do is take them around the school, have a couple lunches with them, and make them feel more comfortable.”

What are your hobbies outside of school?

“I like working on the car with my dad. I have a Monte Carlo. And we just work on cars together. And just hang with friends and stuff. And it’s all about volleyball.”

How often do you practice volleyball?

“I do club … and when I’m not doing club season, during the summer I do all kinds of camp stuff.”

Is it hard to balance school and your activities?

“It is, but I love it. I take school very seriously and to me it’s important that I make it fun, too. And I love volleyball, so to me it doesn’t seem that hard because it’s so important to me. So I just make it work.”

Favorite school subject

“My favorite is math, I’m a big math nerd.”

Worst subject

“Probably language.”

Family

Older sister, Megan; parents Steve and Cheri.