Senior Spotlight
From volleyball to Food For Friends, Airedale senior Miranda Gibson juggled busy schedule
By Kevin Taylor
Alma Schools
Miranda Gibson isn’t unlike most of her classmates who’ve been glancing at the 2024 calendar with a little more frequency of late.
Miranda Gibson’s Senior Year is almost over. And with it, 13 years of the Alma School District will be nothing but a memory.
“High school did go by really fast,” she said. “(But) it did meet my expectations, because I got to be involved in things I was interested in, and I got to take classes that efficiently prepared me for college.”
Gibson stepped into high school during the daunting fall of 2020, just months after the COVID-19 pandemic brought most of the world to a crawl - including Alma High School.
But knowing some of her older brother Nathan’s friends made the transition from middle school to high school a little less hectic.
“It was easier because I knew a lot of the seniors because of him,” Gibson said. “It made me feel better knowing that I knew some of these people instead of being overwhelmed by the older kids.”
A standout volleyball player for coach Kimberly Weaver’s squad last fall, Gibson immersed herself in other activities as well, from Partner’s Club to NHS (National Honor’s Society), to Food For Friends.
“It’s very important to be involved because that’s where you make your friends and get involved in the community,” Gibson said. “High School would be hard and boring if you weren’t involved in anything.”
Gibson’s accomplishments mirror what her high school counselors hope for from every student.
“I can’t emphasize enough how valuable participating n extracurricular activities is in the growth and development of students,” Alma High School Counselor Tawyna Shelton said. “We know that developmentally, their adolescent years are heavily focused on building and developing their peer-to-peer relationships and relations skills. Learning to be part of a team, how to work together, how to handle adversity and disagreements, as well as how to celebrate and encourage one another is a huge factor for our students in developing leadership skills.”
“I remember getting lost in the school and being a little overwhelmed,” she recalled. “I think my first class was with Ms. Willhite.”
The routine high school brings students is something they’re likely never to duplicate again. And that’s OK with Gibson.
“I’m going to miss the structure and the consistency, but I’m not going to miss the routine,” she said. “(But) it did get a lot easier. Classes got harder, but once you get into the routine it’s easier to follow through with everything.”
Gibson plans to pursue a degree at UAFS in the medical field. She’s interested in Diagnostic medical sonography.
“I always wanted to be in the medical field, but I don’t want to deal with regular illnesses like the flu, and I don’t want to get into surgery, where you have open wounds, and ER would stress me out,” she said. “This is perfectly suited for me.”
“Since COVID, we have had so many students who have isolated themselves and unplugged from school activities,” Shelton said. “They don’t always realize that the time they have in high school is the one dedicated period of their lives they have to build lasting relationships, participate in activities, and make memories that will last a lifetime.
“I’ve yet to have a single student or alumni tell me their biggest regret is failing at a sport or activity. I can’t even count the number of students and alumni who have expressed deep regret for quitting or never trying to be involved in a sport or activity. Even if you aren’t the best on the team, you were part of something bigger than yourself.”
“Volleyball was the only athletics I was involved in, but I was involved in NHS, Partner’s Club, Food For Friends, the JUST Club, and Hosa. I was involved in a lot.”