What was your experience here last year at Notre Dame?
Last year was really more educational than this year is. I learned more things about the faith than I knew because I was basically a Catholic who knew just that there was a God and that was it. I didn’t know what anything meant. So this year compared to last year was more spiritual and it was more of a growth. Last year I made some decisions and promises to myself that I followed through which was really nice.

You were on a competitive cheerleading squad, right?
Right.

Now what kind of decisions did you make when you came back? What changed in your life after Notre Dame? What are those things that you stuck through with?
Well, basically, I was put with the decision that it was either cheerleading or church. I had kind of been debating on it in my mind before Notre Dame but I just didn’t have the courage to actually quit. And they practice Sunday nights. So when I came back from Notre Dame, I was like "I’m sorry, I think I’d rather go to Heaven than win a state final." So I quit cheerleading.

What about drinking?
Drinking has been hard. I used to drink a lot, before Notre Dame. I just had a whole bunch of family problems and that’s how I would try to get through it and it really just made everything worse.

Is it like divorce in your family?
It was more like everything. My parents are together at the moment. But they had divorced. I came home right after Notre Dame and found out that my dad moved out and my mom cheated on my dad with another guy. Pretty much my house was a mess. And I went out every day during the week and partied that whole summer. Then when I went to Notre Dame, it really just calmed my soul and I realized that I didn’t need it. It was getting me nowhere.

In the past year, when have you needed God the most?
AP exams. (laughs) All my friends still drink and are not virgins and being that I am trying to do the opposite that everyone is doing, it’s really hard. That’s when I needed God more.

What’s the most difficult part about being in high school?
Not drinking and trying to be a good Catholic. But it’s well worth it.

How is it worth it? When was a time when you did the right thing and felt good about yourself?
I brought one of my friends to church with me. She had been struggling a lot with her family and I was just like "Just come to church with me once and see if you like it. If you don’t, you are not pressured to come, but just try it." And she came and she has actually been coming ever since and that was a couple months ago. And even though its not about me, just the fact that I have been able to be a bigger sister like in my youth group to other kids. It’s a good feeling that I am helping.

What’s your favorite music right now?
Everything, except I’m not a rap person.

What’s your most embarrassing story?
In ninth grade, I was in a building in the hall and there was a bunch of football players behind me and I was just walking and it had been raining. And in Florida everyone wears flip-flops when its raining, December, whatever. And I was walking in front of the bathrooms and my feet went under me and I just fell right in front of them.

It’s been good talking to you, thanks for being so open and honest.
Thank you.