By Caroline Cho
The clock read thirty seconds.
Adrenaline surged through her veins as she glanced at the wall in front of her. Rocks, matte pink oblongs, bright turquoise squares, and warm, yellow spheres, were spread out on the uneven course.
She scaled the wall carefully, slowly; every movement determined the outcome. At last, the ceiling was near.
“10, 9, 8…,” screamed the loudspeaker. One more chance to the top.
With a final surge of energy, she chalked her hands and reached for the next hold. “Slow and steady, one foot after another,” she thought.
Then, she finally grasped the last hold, and everyone went crazy. Her face flushed as she returned to the ground, greeted by a crowd of cheering spectators.
For junior Kaitlyn Bailey, rock climbing is a way of proving herself.
“When you go rock climbing, there are specific climbs that are at your maximum limit. You just have to work and work at those,” Bailey said.
Besides rock climbing, Bailey has a full plate on her hands including Robodox competitions, extracurricular activities, and homework. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, making her own clothes, running marathons, and challenging herself academically.
Bailey is also a part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which is certainly rewarding. The academic rigor may be stressful for some students, but Bailey manages all of her activities with a specific agenda.
“Once I get home from my extracurricular activity for the day, I do my homework with breaks every once in a while to refresh my mind. Weekends are saved for going out with friends,” Bailey said.
In high school, college, and the adult world, time management is a key factor to success. It is especially important to maintain proper balance in life academically, socially, and physically.
In Bailey’s eyes, being busy is a blessing, and a full schedule is synonymous to a healthy lifestyle. As a way to stay on top of things, Bailey pushes herself to her maximum in everything she does, from Robotics to rockclimbing.
“I am a really busy person, and I actually like that my life that way. I always have to know the next best thing to get done, so I have no time to procrastinate,” Bailey said.
The Plaid Press 