Addyson Rumskey

Addyson Rumskey is a junior at AHS and is an incredibly hardworking student-athlete. She always gives everything she does her full effort and takes pride in all of her accomplishments. She is an empathetic, passionate, and friendly person and loves to spend time with her friends. She says, “I love to be around my friends, but I'm also great at socializing and making new friends. Talking is my favorite thing to do to get to know new people or even make someone feel better, and I am great at making people feel included and loved. Overall, I am a very social person who loves to engage with others and brighten their day.”

Addyson dedicates herself to multiple sports, AP classes, clubs, and a job. She certainly keeps a busy schedule, which can be very difficult to manage at times. She is taking very challenging courses like AP psychology, AP precalc, AP lang, and honors chemistry, giving her plenty of homework and studying to do every day. “The biggest struggle so far this year for me has been balancing my workload. Being in sports and extracurriculars consumes most of my after-school time, so it's hard to get things done. The biggest factor is running track and participating in club volleyball in the same season. Most days, I leave track practice to go right to volleyball. It's a huge commitment doing two sports at once and my free time is limited, but the bonds and relationships I get from both sports are what make it worth it,” Addyson explains.

While track and volleyball take up a lot of time and can be big stressors, the effect they have on Addyson's life makes it worthwhile. She has played volleyball since first grade and it has been a huge part of her life ever since. “I recently started playing club volleyball during my freshman year of high school, and that's when I had the opportunity to meet some of my closest friends from different schools. It's such a supportive environment around you, club and school season, full of girls who have the same love and joy for volleyball as I do, and who want to win,” Addyson says. Not only does she play volleyball year-round, but she also dedicates herself to the high school track team. She has been doing hurdles since seventh grade and loves the 300m hurdles. She explains, “Running by itself isn't very fun, but running with friends makes it 100 times better. My love for sports has always started with the love for the people I do them with.”

Outside of sports, Addyson involves herself in challenging courses. One of her favorite classes this year is AP Lang with Mrs. Hilston. “Her class is always so much fun and I learn a lot not just about English, but being a better person too,” she says. For Addyson, Mrs. Hilston has also been a great outlet for Stop the Hate events like bake sales and the most recent field trip to the City Club of Cleveland. Another one of her favorite classes is AP Psychology with Mrs. Dirda. She states, “The content is so interesting to me and I'm always hooked to learn more.” Next year, Addyson is planning to take courses like AP Stats, Art III, Yearbook, Photography, Sociology, and Service Learning. She is also taking CCP English through Kent State University, allowing her to broaden her experiences outside of Aurora.

While Addyson has a hectic schedule, she still makes time to have fun. She loves to spend time with her family and friends. Other things she likes to do in her free time include cooking and baking. She says, “I was always in the kitchen starting at a very young age with my family, specifically my two grandmas, and I've always loved cooking and baking.” Even though she plays two sports, she likes to paddleboard, hike, and do yoga to stay active. Addyson says, “For me, the perfect day would be outside tanning with a good book and some of my favorite music playing.”

With all of Addyson's dedication, having someone to look up to is very important. She looks up to her mom because of her hardworking, kind, and compassionate attributes. “My mom spends her free time giving back to others, whether it's making food to deliver to shelters or crocheting blankets to donate to elderly homes. I have always strived to be as kind, compassionate, educated, and giving as she is. She is the best role model I know and I have learned everything I know from her.”

So far, Addyson has enjoyed her high school experience. One of the more recent fun experiences was coaching the boys' Senior vs Junior volleyball game. Since she is a volleyball player, coaching less experienced was definitely a fun experience. Some of her other favorite parts of high school include football games, school dances, and spirit weeks. Addyson also says, “Another thing I've loved is playing volleyball; the games are so energetic, and the environment is such a supportive one. I am looking forward to track meets this year as well.”

After high school, Addyson has a good idea of what she wants to do. So far, her favorite college is Hiram, as she has visited it and loves the campus. While she is still unsure as to where she would like to commit to, she has a career in mind. “I would like to major in psychology and minor in early childhood education. I would love to work as a school psychologist in a kindergarten or elementary school, but my dream job would be to be a therapist for children of a young age. I love to babysit and spend time with younger kids, and to help them in any way, mentally or emotionally, would be amazing!”

Clearly, Addyson is an incredible student. She has dedicated herself to working hard all of high school, and her work ethic, along with her passion, will continue to follow her in college and beyond. AHS is so lucky to have her as a talented student-athlete who consistently pushes herself.

By: Kelsey Krizansky