Four Douglas High School students are featured this month on Northern Nevada Lifestyles, a program hosted by Terrie Q. Sayre which airs on local cable access channel 26. A sample of hard-working young people, Allison Andraski, David Mathews, Sara Miller and Lisa Shoemaker, were chosen to represent their classmates.
The first to be interviewed was Mathews, a senior and captain of the Douglas High School debate team. Mathews and his partner, Kat Lambrecht, came in first in the state for their policy debate at the Nevada State Debate competition that took place March 17 and 18 at the University of Nevada, Reno. This was the first time the competition took place at the university. Mathews, whose parents are both teachers at Douglas High School, has partnered with Lambrecht on the debate team for three years.
"My partner and I were fortunate enough to place first," said Mathews. "We have been together now for three years. We can kind of read each others' minds now and that is what makes us successful.
"It's not that we are better than anyone else it is just that we know when someone is going to mess up or when we are going to mess up. We have a better partner cohesion than most teams."
Mathews plans to continue his education at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. He will be continuing in policy debate at the college. His goal is to be either an English teacher or an astrophysicist.
Miller was the next to be interviewed. A senior with a 4.0 GPA, Miller carries a heavy load between her studies. She is a member of the National Honor Society, a cheerleader and a Block D Letterman's Club officer, as well as working at Jethro's Sports Bar.
When asked how she manages to do all of that and maintain her GPA, Miller said, "I stay up late a lot, I work really hard."
Miller plans to attend University of Nevada, Reno, after graduation and wants to be a speech pathologist.
"I had a speech impediment when I was little," she said. "So I always wanted to help kids the way my speech pathologist helped me. I want to come back here to work."
Andraski, a junior this year, has a 4.7 GPA and is third in her class.
Of her aspirations for being valedictorian of her class, Andraski said, "I am trying for that but my competition is pretty tough."
Andraski said that although she's not sure what subject she wants to major in, she is taking honors classes and enjoys art. She has played soccer since she was in fifth grade and continues to play high school soccer.
"I would like to be a physical therapist because I have had a couple of soccer injuries and I have had to go and get treated for it," said Andraski, "and I just think it would be nice to be able to help out people who have sports injuries."
Other subjects Andraski is interested in are English and science.
"I have always enjoyed biology and looking at evolution. I have always thought that was pretty interesting," said Andraski.
Shoemaker, another senior at Douglas High School, is an artist who began drawing at age 12.
"Most of what I learned was from my dad, and I really only started drawing when I was about 12," she said. "I have Miss Bargman and I keep on drawing in her class. She keeps me going."
Shoemaker plans to go on to college, starting at a junior college for her core classes, and then continue her studies at UNR. She wants to be an art psychologist. She said she feels she can help people by letting them express their feelings and emotions through art.
The program begins airing April 5 and runs through the month of April, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Check local listings for times and dates. To contact Northern Nevada Lifestyles with story ideas or information call 450-6248.
