MARYSVILLE — Sierra Price, 18, is a senior at Marysville Pilchuck High School. As president of the school’s Associated Student Body, she delivered a welcome speech to students returning to the first day of classes a week after the Oct. 24 cafeteria shootings.
Question: How did it come about that you’d deliver a speech on the first day back in school, and how did you approach it?
Answer: I think my adviser contacted me first. We needed to get the ASB leadership class together to decide how we would move forward from the tragedy. We met at Bob’s Burgers and we decided how we would make the environment of the gymnasium one that was welcoming and where students would feel safe. We decided on a shortened day so we would get to school later. That would get us time to set up and make sure we would be prepared. I knew (Assistant Principal Deann) Anguiano would be providing lunch for the students. We welcomed them back with hot chocolate and doughnuts and things like that. To relieve some of the tension we had the students do small group activities and we had a motivational speaker, Mike Smith. I spoke before him.
Q: How did you compose your speech?
A: It was a difficult speech to write because at the beginning of the year I was trying to promote acceptance and for students to be unique, to not be afraid to express who they were. I knew that they weren’t feeling that, so I decided to relate to that by saying, “We are all going through the roller coaster of emotions and we all have to be there for each other as we move forward.” And I knew that it was going to take long time. Everyone had their own timeline.
Q: What sorts of changes have you seen among the student population at the school since the shootings?
A: I think it depends who you ask. I know the freshmen have been affected the most because they knew the victims. They’re still not healed or “over it,” and they still face depression. And the students who were in the cafeteria — it’s not always visible, but there are triggers. For example, at assemblies we don’t do balloons, in case someone pops them.
We also had to decide what to do about the memorial fence. We left it up for a couple of weeks, and then we decided as a community and student body to take down the fence, and take down the posters around the school and in the gym, just to help the students move on. Because we don’t want a constant reminder. We wanted the students involved so they could decide how to do it. We didn’t want the adults to do it overnight.
Q: Aside from student government, what else keeps you busy at school?
A: In the fall I ran cross-country. I love the kids on the team. Really down-to-earth and accepting. I also take AP Calculus and AP Literature. I also play tennis and was captain on varsity last year. I’m going to play again this year. I used to play Select Soccer, but I got a really bad concussion and I didn’t want to get another one.
Q: Any other activities of note?
A: I was homecoming queen this year as well. That was a big accomplishment because I didn’t expect that. That was also an interesting experience because that was the only contact I’d had with Jaylen Fryberg (who was the freshman homecoming prince). It’s disappointing because those memories are a combination of happiness and shock.
Q: What do you what to study in college?
A: I want to study biochemistry, in particular pathology. I think studying diseases is particularly interesting because my brother has tubular aggregate myopathy. It was an 11-year diagnosis, that’s how rare it is. It’s affects your whole body. If your muscle tears, it can’t heal. He can’t run, he can only walk. Usually it only occurs in people 40 years old and up. He’s 22, in graduate school at University of San Francisco.
Q: How did you get interested in medicine?
A: I took AP biology as a sophomore. I was top of the class, I did really well and also enjoyed it. I missed my biology book when I turned it in because I really enjoyed reading it. It helps that I have a passion for it. It kind of gave me a direction.
Q: Are you drawn more toward research or treatment?
A: That’s my struggle. I find research fascinating but I also like to work with people. I thought about anesthesiology for a while because then I’d be with the patients before during and after surgery, and that’s a difficult position for them to be in. I would like to be one of those doctors that looks at patients as people rather than just another patient. Especially because when my brother was going through his diagnosis he had to deal with a lot of inconsiderate health care professionals.
Q: What is your philosophy or inspiration in life?
A: My outlook is pretty much—this might sound cliched—you only have one life so it’s best to improve yourself every day. That includes being nice to people and trying to be someone other people can look up to. With my health and my opportunities, being able to receive an education, I need to be the best I can because I know that, because my brother is really successful in college, I can also do a lot with my life. So I need to be the best version of myself I can be: trying to do well in school, staying healthy by exercising, and being kind and compassionate to other people.
Chris Winters: 425-374-4165; cwinters@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @Chris_At_Herald.
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