During eighth grade, young Camille Collier, senior, was in her language arts class taught by Graeme Sandell at Rosemont Ridge Middle School. While many eighth graders sit and stare at the wall not thinking about their futures, Collier was doing just the opposite. At this time, she had decided that she wanted to be a part of the Amplifier during her high school years.
“Mr. Sandell really aided my interest in writing,” Collier said. On the first day of freshman year, Collier walked into the Amplifier classroom and has worked her way to becoming the editor-in-chief. Over the past three years, Collier has made countless memories during her time in Amplifier.
“The obvious reason I love this class is because of the people,” Collier said. “The other staff members I have the privilege of working beside present different views and really work well as a cohesive whole. I am delighted that there is a group of teenagers out there as competent as the staff.”
Not only does Collier enjoy the people she is surrounded with, but the demanding environment that is the journalism world.
“I just love the sense of urgency that is journalism. Without it, it makes it kind of a bore so having to work feverishly to track down people to interview, write, edit, and upload a story is a really accomplished feeling.” Not only does she have an admiration and respect for her classmates, but they feel the same way about Collier.
“She’s a really funny and intelligent person,” Nicole Gray, senior, said. “Without a doubt she keeps everything and all of us in order.”
Collier stays busy not only with the Amplifier, but runs on the Varsity Cross Country Team along with taking four rigorous advanced placement classes that include AP English, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry and AP French. Collier has managed to stay highly successful with such a stressful workload by simply re-adjusting her mindset towards the classes.
“It’s one thing when you’re taking a bunch of hard classes in which you are not vested and have no interest,” Collier said. “It’s another when you actually feel privileged to study topics that intrigue and inspire you.” Collier’s one piece of advice is to “actually select classes that inspire even a little bit of your interest.”
With Collier’s strong academic success, she has been able to set herself up in a position to attend a highly elite university. She has set her goals high in hopes of studying microbiology. Collier isn’t just envisioning her college life, but her life after college and her career.
“I want to be really interested in my work, whichever specific endeavor I chose. I want to be in a place where I’m working hard and I’m feeling good about my hard work,” she said. “I want to have the mindset I do right now, which is that hard work doesn’t dissipate into despair and it eventually pays off.”
Collier doesn’t want to just have a “ho-hum, work 35 years then retire” kind of life. For her, life is more important than just sticking to daily norms. She wants to make a difference.
“Life is a journey and I don’t want to sit around and do nothing,” Collier said. I want to break barriers. I want to have an impact.”
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