Student Spotlight: Emma Wright
Here at Hobart High School, student Emma Wright is reaching goals in the Hobart Tiger Sharks swim team, claiming the student athlete of the month title. Emma recently competed at the Indiana State swimming meet and won first place, making this the first victory for Hobart at the state conference. All of Emma’s fellow athletes and coaches came down to cheer her on as she won first place.
Emma first began swimming when she was young. Her brother had been swimming for a couple of seasons and like all younger siblings, she wanted to follow in his footsteps. She joined a few seasons after him and fell in love the moment she first dipped into the pool. Swimming relaxes Emma; when she’s in the water she’s feels at home, motivating her to continue swimming and even break records. She wanted to push herself to the best of her ability, and she definitely wanted to do better than her older brother.
When Emma competed down at State, she didn’t think she was going to win. Her goal was to win as a junior, and as a sophomore she just did not think she could do it. But the moment her hand touched the pad she knew she had won. She triple checked to make sure she wasn’t dreaming and began to cry tears of pure joy.
Emma’s future won’t be dry. She has dreams of swimming in college and maybe even winning another competition, this time with college students. Emma plans on going to school to become an optometrist, but if she has the opportunity to swim she won’t let it pass. One of Emma’s biggest goals is to compete for team USA at the Olympics and hopefully take home gold.
“Swimming is a sport where you are either in or not—there is no in between,” Emma said.
Swimming is a big commitment. She spends roughly four hours at the pool per day, practicing and working toward her goals. She has been swimming for almost 10 years, and every single day she is faced with a new challenge that she has to overcome. The great thing about Emma is that she overcomes her challenges. An average day in Emma’s life is very hectic. She has to be at the pool by 5 a.m. every single day before school. Although she is very busy, she still manages to find time to juggle her school life and her swim life. After school she has to go back to the pool and swim more, trying to fit time for homework in between practices.
Emma encourages people who want to join swim to do so. Swimming is very difficult, with all the practices and facing the cold pool each morning. Emma said it’s worth the effort, though.
“This sport brings you and your teammates together, and you will have unbreakable bonds,” she said. “It can be scary and is a very big commitment, but it is definitely worth it.”
Teacher Spotlight: Mr. Zoladz
When it comes to defying all the stereotypes about science geeks, Shawn Zoladz is a prime example.
Zoladz teaches honors biology, honors anatomy and physiology, and essential medical terminology. He is also head of the science wing, meaning that he is in charge of all of the science teachers and helps come up with the curriculum. He makes sure that all the science teachers have all the supplies and textbooks they need in order to teach their classes. In addition, Zoladz is the weight room and fieldhouse supervisor, making sure that everyone in these two rooms knows what they’re doing. He also is an assistant coach of the football team and helps out with any other sport that may need him.
Mr. Zoldaz got into science when he was very young. He has always been interested in the science behind things, especially how the human body works. He decided to go to school to become a science major. Due to some health complications with his father, he was forced to look at his schooling in a different way. When his father passed away due to brain cancer, he sought help in the education department. He never would have guessed he would become a teacher; both of his parents were teachers, and following in their footsteps was never apart of his plan. Zoladz ended up double majoring and becoming a certified science teacher for high school students. He decided to take his talents back to his hometown of Hobart.
Zoladz was a key influencer in Emma Wright’s success story for her statewide win. Emma had Zoladz as a teacher her freshman year and they quickly bonded over being athletes. Zoldaz was one of the main adults in Emma’s life to tell her that she can do whatever she sets her mind to.
In Mr. Zoladz’s mind, Emma needed no help in her success, but he’s always willing to give Emma some kind words of advice.