Going into your freshman year can be described as both exciting and scary. Most are unsure as to where they fit in and do not quite know how to be involved in school, but Emily Scarboro did. Emily knew that Millbrook was going to be her home well before her freshman year as she watched her brother from the sidelines while he ran cross country and track. In addition to attending meets, she also would help her mom with extra tasks for the PTSA, as her mom is PTSA president.

 Emily got involved at Millbrook before school even started. She made her way through the very selective process of becoming a member of Millbrook Executive Board. Being a part of MEB is a rewarding position as well as very demanding. This is especially challenging when you are a freshman coming into a new school and expected to take on a leadership role. Within MEB, Emily serves on the advertising committee. This committee is key in keeping the student body informed of all events coordinated by MEB. As part of her duties on this committee, she is responsible for making and editing videos, as well as running school social media accounts. This team of dedicated students meet regularly to keep things running smoothly at Millbrook.   

 Another way that Emily chose to be involved at Millbrook was to apply to be in the Digital Media Academy. This involved 2 teacher recommendations and a competitive selection process. Emily has always had a passion for photography and thought that her skills could be enhanced within the academy. In the academy, students take a mixture of career and academic classes at the same time. Emily said that her favorite aspect of the academy is being in classes with the same group of people, which allows for a closer connection to her peers.  

 Emily is also an avid swimmer, and competes for Millbrook, as well as her year around team, Wave. Emily started swimming seven years ago and has been passionate about it ever since. Swimming year around requires a lot of discipline, commitment, and dedication. While many of us enjoy the comforts of sleeping in on Saturday mornings, Emily is most likely in the water swimming. For the high school team, the most dreaded event by swimmers is the 500 freestyle. This entails 20 laps of non-stop swimming. Coaches have a hard time finding athletes willing to swim this event, and Emily steps up every time. She volunteers to swim it and sees it as an opportunity to improve her swimming skills. Her personal record for this event is 6 minutes and 20 seconds.  

 When MEB advisor and swim coach Mr. Jones was asked about Emily, he responded, “Emily is always willing to go the extra mile in all that she does. She became involved at Millbrook before school even started with MEB and has become an integral member this year. She is also a versatile athlete. I can ask her to swim anything, including the longest event, and she does so with a smile and goes as hard as she can.”  

 Emily’s willingness to take on leadership roles as a freshman serves as an example for others to strive for.