Rikus Van Der Walt

Senior Rikus Van Der Walt found a stress reliever in mountain biking. Going mountain biking allows him to keep his mind clear. Additionally, he has fun playing video games in his free time.

“I like both of them because they allow me to forget about any stressful things bothering me for a short while,” Van Der Walt said. “I still think grades are important, but I think it is even more important to do things outside of school like playing a sport or getting a hobby instead of spending all your time trying to get the best grades just so that you can go to a good college.”

Van Der Walt realized that he needed to experience life rather than waste his high school experience worrying about grades.

“I would spend so much time doing work and studying to get good grades that, in the end, I had little time for other things,” Van Der Walt said. “The advice I would give my freshman self would be that getting good grades isn’t everything. It is more important to do things outside of school instead of studying all the time.”