Welcome back Muskies! The Auroran Today is so excited to be back and writing brand new stories, some from brand new writers. Hayden Cortez is a Junior this year and is making her debut on our newspaper team.
Hayden dances for the Muskies but also belongs to a studio that she’s been dancing competitively at for four years. Both teams are similar when it comes to the dancing and the people, but Hayden prefers studio dance because it can be less stressful.
“Dancing at the studio is less pressure, and no 6 a.m. practices,” said Hayden.
When she wasn’t at the dance, Hayden spent the summer with her friends, family, and dog.
“My friends and I did a lot of driving around over the summer because there’s not really much else to do. I also went to Florida with my family,” said Hayden.
Although Hayden had a fun summer, she shared that school comes first.
“I like to get my homework done before I can do anything else. It’s my number one priority, and having priorities is what keeps me motivated,” said Hayden.
Staying motivated is important when it comes to being a student with a job. Hayden started working at Peking about a month ago. She shared that waitressing can be difficult, especially for her ever first job.
“I am not someone who is very social, so being a waitress has its challenges, but I am pretty good at pushing myself out of my comfort zone,” Hayden said.
Hayden’s carefree personality is very inspiring and leads her to be more confident.
“Sometimes I go to school events by myself, which I know sounds sad, but it doesn’t stress me out or anything. Basically YOLO all the time,” said Hayden.
Hayden has watched herself grow a lot this past year, making 15 her favorite age to experience yet.
“I did so much when I was 15. I really noticed myself growing up, while making sure I didn’t peak. That’s always important,” said Hayden.
Hayden’s love for writing comes from her love for reading. She pointed out that one of the reasons she joined the newspaper team was because she loved reading our Potty Presses.
“After taking Journalism One, I realized writing feels super productive to me and I enjoy learning about the people and topics I write about. I also won best story which boosted my confidence to continue writing. Mrs. Rauenbuehler even said that newspaper would be a good fit for me,” Hayden said.
Joining our team and writing with the staff is something that Hayden is really looking forward to. She’s most excited for people to read the stories that she works hard on.
“I see myself [writing] the most in the feature section, but I am really open to everything. I’ll definitely be writing some stories about the Pom team,” said Hayden.
In terms of the future, Hayden hopes to continue writing in college.
“I want to go to the University of Iowa. I’d love to write for a college newspaper as well, and see where my writing skills go from there,” Hayden said.
Make sure to keep an eye out for all of Hayden’s amazing upcoming stories!
