Norah Williams is a 12th grade students at OSNAS. She is and has been a shining example of what Our Savior teaches and encourages the students to be. Norah is God fearing and her gentle presence is felt by young and old both. Her future is bright and sure to be filled with great Christian works. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy senior year to answer some questions.
How has your Senior year began these first few months?
So far, my senior year has been full of wonderful memories that I will hold on to for the rest of my life. I enjoy my classes with my fellow classmates and love my teachers, who treat me like family. I got to play both volleyball and soccer with a full schedule of games and was recognized on my senior night for both sports. It was sad to play my last games of my high school career, but I acknowledged the growth I have had over the years.
Tell a little bit about your experience playing soccer and volleyball over the years.
Since 7th grade, I have been playing volleyball, and since 10th grade, I have been playing soccer.
Volleyball has a special place in my heart because my sister influenced me to play and become better at the sport. She encouraged me to join the team even though I was scared to play. However, I’m glad she got me to play because I learned how to play the game of volleyball as well as how to work as a team, slay my giants, and have confidence in myself and my teammates. Mrs.Allen, the volleyball coach, has taught me how to play volleyball and how to stay strong mentally through God’s Word. She has done so much for me that I even consider her as a second mother.
Starting off on the team was hard, but as I kept practicing and playing the game, I became stronger mentally, physically, and spiritually. As I advanced in my skill level, I grew love for the game. My current teammates and past teammates all have helped me realize that volleyball is a team sport that requires teamwork and without teamwork, the players break down. But, all of the teammates I have played with are loving and supportive and treat each other like family, which is how a team should treat each other.
Soccer, on the other hand, was not a sport that I ever considered playing, until COVID came. When the coronavirus postponed my volleyball season in my sophomore year, I decided to play on the boy’s soccer team and run cross country in the fall season. COVID as well as the soccer coach, Duncan, influenced me to join soccer and try something new.
It was very frustrating and difficult when I first started playing soccer because I had know idea how hard it was to actually play. However, when I practiced after school, as well as at other club practices, I grew my skill level and started to enjoy playing. Duncan helped me continue to push myself because he saw something in me that I did not at the time. I was grateful for the opportunity to play soccer, despite COVID postponing volleyball because I have created countless memories with the team and grew to love playing the game.
Both sports have helped me grow as a person and as an athlete. As I grew older, I had to become the leader of the team and help the younger players just like how my past teammates helped me. I thank my coaches and teammates for helping me through the years and most importantly, God who has given me the talent and opportunity to play sports.
Many people enjoy sports for different reasons. What do you like about sports?
Sports are forever in my heart. I love to play sports for many reasons. I play for fun, for exercise, for increasing my skills, for working with my teammates, and for achieving goals I set for myself. Sports have been an outlet for me when I felt stressed or tired because playing sports gives me energy as well as the people I play with. When I started playing sports, I wanted to lose my baby fat weight, but as I grew my skills, my love for the games grew as well. I strived to become better and felt satisfied and accomplished when I “made a basket” or “got a kill”(in volleyball). Sports have strengthened me mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially throughout my life.
How long have you been at OSNAS?
I have been at OSNAS since I was in the 1st grade, so I started in 2010-2011.
What is it like being a senior at OSNAS after all those years?
After growing up in the school for almost 12 years it is hard to believe that I am going to be graduating soon. As I look at the younger grades, I see my younger self in them and remember my days in elementary and middle school. I feel as if I have to be a leader and role model for the younger grades, because I remember I looked up to the seniors when I was their age.
What are your hopes for your future after graduation?
After graduating, I hope to find a good job that can help other people in our community. I want to study healthcare, nutrition, or pharmacy, but if God leads me on another path, I will follow His will. I also hope to start a family, buy a house, and live a life that glorifies God.
Do you have any words of wisdom for the rest of the student body?
We are all living in a sinful world full of struggles, problems, obstacles, and hardships. However, we should be grateful for God’s grace and all the blessings he gives us. We often take our blessings for granted, so we need to recognize that we are blessed to have an education, a school to freely worship God, friends and family who love us, a country free from tyranny, food to eat, water to drink, a place to live in, and an omnipotent, omniscient God, who sent His only Son to save us from our sins.
