At KMHS, Magnet students are often viewed the same due to the school’s prioritization of STEM. Though, not every Magnet student is the same—every student has a different goal that they work toward every day. For some, it’s measured in grades and academic recognition. For others, it’s defined by performance on the field and opportunities for athletic scholarships.

For this article, Miriam Sich and Grace Dawit interview two high achieving KMHS Magnet students to bring awareness to the different priorities of high school students and what they go through every day.

Olivia Burley, a Magnet Athletic student, (10^th grader at KMHS):

Olivia is a very determined and disciplined Magnet student who has played sports (especially track) the center of her life, consistently making time for it despite having other extracurricular interests. She hopes to earn a college track scholarship as part of her long-term goal of becoming a college athlete, and this ambition strongly influences how she spends her time each day. As Olivia explains, “I prioritize sports because I want to go to college to compete.”

Her day begins early at 6:00 a.m., when she wakes up and starts warming up on the treadmill before getting ready for school. Throughout the day, she stays mentally connected to her sport by watching footage of past meets and thinking about ways to improve. After school, she dedicates several hours to practice in preparation for upcoming competitions.

Because of the demands of her schedule, Olivia has had to make many sacrifices when it comes to academics. She may miss assignments or submit them late due to meets or because she completes them late at night after practice. She estimates she gets around 6-7 hours of sleep, though this varies depending on her schedule. Olivia notes,” Not getting enough sleep affects my ability to do well in both athletics and academics,” highlighting the impact of sleep deprivation. Recent research from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine states that “insufficient sleep-in teenagers is associated with decreased academic performance and athletic ability” (Bates and Lieu). Additionally, her parents place pressure on her to improve academically, but her primary focus remains on achieving her athletic goals.

Addison Wells, (Magnet 12^th grader at KMHS):

In contrast, Addison is an academics-driven student prioritizing grades and sacrificing sleep. Her motivation everyday is to graduate as a Magnet student from KMHS. Addison states that, “If I had three extra hours in the day, I would simply sleep.” Even so, sleep is often sacrificed, averaging about 6 hours a day and often less. Since Addison has many extracurriculars involved with the school as well as Dance practice, she doesn’t have time for homework until 10pm or later. Unlike Olivia, she believes sleep deprivation does not significantly affect her performance, relying instead on caffeine to stay productive.

Unfortunately, this is the concerning reality among most high schoolers with the trade-off between sleep, performance, and success. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teenagers should get 8-10 hours of sleep every night for optimal health and performance. However, many high school students fall below the recommended hours of sleep often due to academic pressure, extracurricular activities, or both.

Nonetheless, Olivia and Addison are both very active high schoolers who have priorities and goals that they work toward every day. Neither one is better nor more structured, rather, both are strong in different ways. Despite their differences, both students face similar challenges every day. Both go through long days, lack of sleep, and constant pressure to succeed. Their experiences show that there is no single path to success at KMHS—only different ways of managing the same demands.

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