by ZOE MILEWSKI - February 12, 2021 - Freshman Analiece Emigh has big ambitions for her future, and she is not letting anything stop her as she balances clubs, sports, academics, and family.
Emigh is a part of five major clubs. She has joined Dance Marathon, the speech and debate team, student government, Service Over Self, and Robbie’s Hope. Robbie’s Hope is a charity organization that works towards ending teen suicide and spreading the message of teen mental health. Emigh is also a teen ambassador for this program. Finally, she prides herself on achieving great academics.
“I want to attend Notre Dame,” Emigh said. “ I’ve always, like, dreamed of attending a prestigious school plus they’re really well known for their psychology program, which is what I’m interested in.”
Since middle school, Emigh has developed and strengthened her passion for psychology. She hopes to become a psychiatrist after she is finished with her college education. Emigh hopes to continue to spread the important message of mental health and acceptance throughout her whole life. Emigh has a sister, Maren, who is handicapped. Emigh has turned this difficult experience into a life lesson, and she has learned many things from Maren.
“My sister has just shown me that even in the hardest times you can still be joyful and happy,“ Emigh said. “I think she’s given me a better understanding of, like, other disabled kids, and just how to treat others.”
She loves helping others and decided that she was going to choose psychology as a future career. Emigh found her passion for psychology and the human brain when she did an extensive research project about sleep paralysis and narcolepsy. She pours this same dedication into all of her academic endeavors so that she can go to the college of her dreams.
“I have learned many things, but particularly she shows me how to be more open and accepting of different people and ideas, ” her father Pete Emigh said.
She helps others to grow, reflect on themselves, and to learn important lessons. Emigh has always been the type of person to lend a helping hand. In fact, that is how she met one of her best friends, Kori Kimbrough (9).
“We met on the bus on the first day of third grade because I had just moved here, ” Kimbrough said. “I thought she was nice and she showed me around because we had the same teacher.”
Emigh is never afraid to speak her mind. She believes that she mastered this skill mainly from joining the Speech and Debate team. Emigh and her close friend Kori Kimbrough specialize in the duo interpretation event. In this event, the contestants present short speeches and they try to convey maximum expression and emotion.
“I decided to join so many clubs because I used to be, like, super anti-social, and had a lot of social anxiety, so I’m like, ‘what’s the best way to get over this,’ and I decided to just join every possible club I could,” Emigh said.
Whilst balancing clubs, family, and academics, Emigh decided it was time to take on a new challenge. Emigh plays for the school’s lacrosse team, and her favorite position is defense. While the sport’s main season is in the spring, her team has training and scrimmages nearly all year round.
“I’ve just learned [from lacrosse] how to be a better teammate, and just like communication skills, and what it’s like to work with others,” Emigh said. “I’m definitely more aggressive since when I started, I was like really hesitant towards most things but now I’m just going in there.”
The sport has most definitely strengthened her level of grit. The transition from recreational middle school lacrosse to official school team was at first a little daunting. The long training and workout sessions are a constant reminder of just how much she is capable of.
“If Analiece puts her mind to it, she will do it, and do it well, ” Kimbrough said.