As she leaves the choir room filled with melodic sounds, she enters a Spanish club meeting greeting members with  “Hola!” or her car for an eventful day as a PAL. From PALS to Spanish Club to choir, senior Alison Dye has a lot on her plate. However the workload is worth it for Dye as she said that she took up many extracurricular activities because of her desire to help others and grow as a person.

Her journey in choir began in the sixth grade, since then her involvement in choir has increased. Dye even played the role of Mary Poppins this year in the annual Seasons production, “Princess Tea.”

“Choir has helped me grow both as a singer and a person,” Dye said. “[It] has given me a greater passion for singing and music. I will stay in choir and hope to find many more opportunities to sing after that.” 

Apart from singing in choir, Dye is also involved in the Spanish club, which she joined in her freshman year. Dye expressed her love of foreign languages and this compelled her to join. 

“I enjoy learning foreign languages,” Dye said. “And I thought it would be interesting to learn about foreign cultures too. Spanish club has taught me a lot about foreign cultures, which has given me a worldview [on things].”

In addition to choir and Spanish club, to Dye is also a member of PALS. Due said she joined PALS because of her desire to help other children become comfortable with the world around them and feel like they have a place to be in. 

“I joined PALS my junior year,” Dye said. “[I joined] because I had a PAL in third grade [who] really helped me with social interactions. Ever since [then], I knew I would want to be that help for other kids someday.” 

According to Dye, PALS has created a positive atmosphere for her. She said it has taught her that people are care about one another and inspires people to do the same. 

“PALS is like a second family for me,” Dye said. “Everyone cares about everyone. I’ve always struggled with making friends, which made me feel lonely and insecure, but PALS is a safe, fun, and happy with a positive atmosphere. I really feel like I fit in there, and [it] helped me realize that there will always be people who care, even when I feel alone.” 

As for her future plans, Dye will attend Texas State University, where she plans to major in communications and minor in linguistics. 

“I have chosen communications for my major because I’m not completely sure [of] what I want to do,” Dye said. “But I know a communications degree is useful in a variety of careers. I chose linguistics for my minor because of my interest in foreign languages.”

Ever since the dawn of the COVID-19 outbreak, Dye has been forced to stay at home, as have many students. However, Dye said she prefers to reflect on the positive effects that quarantine has had on her, rather than the negative. 

“As a senior, I feel like the virus has affected me [in a more positive manner],” Dye said. “I am a little disappointed that my senior year isn’t going as planned, but I am grateful for everything people are doing to make sure senior year will still be special for the class of 2020. Also, not having to go to school has helped my mental health immensely. I’ve been able to get a lot more sleep, and my anxiety and depression are a lot better.”

Dye expresses her gratitude towards the opportunities that she has been given. She said that her involvement in school  overall helped her grow as a person. 

“All of these activities have helped me come out of the shell,” Dye said. “I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve been blessed with, [and the chance] to meet so many awesome people.”