For my “Senior-Spotlight” I chose my best friend Annaliese Carbajal. I met Annaliese two years ago, in my freshman year, her sophomore year, in Latin class. My first impression of Annaliese was that she was extremely fashionable, and super fun to talk to once you got her invested in a topic. We also had super similar interests, as she had a water bottle decorated in stickers of things she liked, but I was too shy to talk to her about them until the next year. I chose to interview Annaliese for a “Senior-Spotlight” because I find that Annaliese is full of information, and some of her advice given could help a younger student out. For her interview I asked her fifteen questions, five in each category. The categories are childhood, academics, and takeaways/the future.

Where were you born?

Newport News, Virginia.

Do you have any special stories relating to your birth or early life?

After I was born, I lived in the U.S. for a few months but then went to live in Mexico for around three years before returning to the United States.

What is your earliest memory?

My earliest memory is from when I was almost two years old, and I was in the parking lot of the hospital going to see my mom after she gave birth to my younger sister.

Do you remember your favorite things from when you were little?

My favorite things when I was little were “Zebra Cakes” and my brown bunny stuffed animal.

Do you remember this time as good or bad?

I remember being happy, but looking back, this time was not very good.

What do you recall about starting school?

When I first started school I remember crying, because I didn’t want my mom to leave. I also remember sitting next to this girl we called “Crybaby Annabelle.”

What is a class you excelled in?

I have excelled most in history class, as history is my favorite subject.

What is a class you regret taking?

I don’t really regret taking any classes I chose for myself.

What are some of your academic accomplishments?

I feel accomplished in my Latin studies, I have placed on the national Latin exams, and I have won awards at the Virginia Latin Convention.

What would you tell someone starting their school career?

My sister is starting high school next year and I keep telling her to join clubs and to not slack off, especially in the beginning.

What is something you will take away from your time at Lafayette?

A takeaway I’ve learned from school is learning how to prioritize things, when I first started high school COVID was still a major world crisis, so we were online for a really long time. Since we were online, I never did my work, and I’m facing the consequences now.

What classes/experiences do you think will help you in the future/college?

I think my government class, Latin class, Latin club, Key club, and Model UN will help me in the future.

What factors from high school impacted you the most?

Clubs, friends, and my teachers.

What will you miss the most from high school?

I am going to miss my friends and some of my teachers.

What question do you have for yourself five years from now?

Do I have kids by now? Am I married? What college did I choose to go to? What career did I choose?