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