Nardos Wondimu, a junior at Paint Branch High School, describes herself as someone who juggles a lot at once. “I’m kind of an overachiever,” she explains. “I try to do a lot of things at once, like advanced classes and extracurriculars, but that stresses me out.” Perhaps this is why, if she had to choose one word for her life, it would be “hectic.” When asked about her personality, Nardos says, “My friends would describe me as really funny and unserious about anything besides school, but when it comes to school, I’m really determined.” She adds, “My teachers would probably say I’m easy to talk to, and my sisters and parents would just call me silly.” At Paint Branch, she feels surrounded by role models. “In high school, people are a lot more mature,” she says. “I constantly feel inspired by people who achieve such amazing things. At first, I wasn’t sure if Paint Branch was the right school for me, but I’ve met people who showed me this is a good school for me.” When she walks into a room, the first thing she notices is the atmosphere. “I notice the lighting of the room,” she says, “if there’s good lighting, I want to sit next to the windows or the sun. With people, I notice if they’re talking to one another or on their phones. It tells me if it’s the kind of environment where you can talk and collaborate easily.” Nardos loves both reading and watching movies, but she makes a distinction: “If it’s a historical topic, I want to read. If it’s anything else, I’d rather watch a movie.” She also admits she’s not an outdoors person. “I don’t like sleeping in nature,” she laughs. “If I had to choose, I’d go glamping because I’d prefer a more modern way to do it.” Her favorite season is autumn because she loves “the cool weather and how the trees look.” If she could be any animal, she would choose “a chimpanzee, like living in a forest where there’s no people.” Even with technology, she keeps it simple: “I have an Android, and a lot of my friends make fun of me, but I think if your phone works, then it doesn’t really matter.” Overall, Nardos sees herself as both ambitious and lighthearted. “I try to do a lot. I get stressed, but I also love joking around,” she says. “It’s hectic, but it’s me.” By: Frank Cohen

When asked to describe what it is like to attend Paint Branch, ninth-grader Efratha Tewodros states “big and crowded.” She adds that it is also busy and everyone rushes. As a student who is fresh out of middle school, she immediately saw the busy and hectic nature of Paint Branch. Efratha came to PB from White Oak Middle School and enjoys hiking, which she calls her favorite outdoor activity. Additionally, she calls spring her favorite season because “it’s not too hot or too cold.” Efratha enjoys watching TV and movies. In fact, her favorite movie is Coraline, which she says she enjoys because it is moderately scary. As for what she means by moderately scary, she says ¨it’s scary but not too scary.” A favorite show of hers is Never Have I Ever because ¨it’s relatable and it’s based on high school.¨ One book she has read that she remembers well is a touching book called Wonder, which stood out to her because ¨it shows a whole new point of view.¨

She enrolled in Journalism because she was interested in this course and felt that there would be more freedom in her writing. As for when she grows up, Efratha wants to be a doctor because she ¨likes to help people.”

By: Damion Tatum