Doing It for the Future: Rebel Highlight – Sally Grace Ward

Every day, students pass through the hallways rushing to their next classes, leaving for early dismissals, or heading off to practice. In all of this constant movement, it’s easy to stay focused on our own routines without stopping to wonder about the lives unfolding around us. 

While walking through the school one day, I felt this way about one of the fellow seniors in the class of 2026, Sally Grace Ward. Every single morning, she’s seen walking through the halls with her blonde hair and her bright brown eyes, talking with friends or listening to music. 

For this release’s Rebel Highlight, that’s exactly why I chose her. It was almost like I knew from the beginning that this familiar face was a story shaped by growth and love.

Sally’s currently a senior in the Class of 2026. She’s offered to talk about her own life as well as her experiences at the high school for the past four years. Outside of school, Sally enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She loves traveling, exploring new places, and spending time at home drawing, painting, coloring, practicing makeup, and sharing her work on Instagram and TikTok. Her favorite music is mostly from the 2000s, but she loves all genres. Her favorite artist is Billie Eilish (for seven years now!) 

Q: What is some advice you would give to someone who is new to high school?

A: High school is definitely a change. Not only through the movement from a small campus to a bigger one, having more assignments, and more pressure, it’s a complicated time when you learn more about yourself and the people around you (for better or worse). There are lots of hard days, but there are good ones too that even them out, so even if it’s scary, there’s always something to lessen the load and to look forward to. I would say to cherish the friends, hangouts, club meetings, and even the school dances, because everything goes by in the blink of an eye. 

Q: What advice have you been given by a former upperclassman that has been important to you?

A: I was told by a previous upperclassman, “Do it for you.” When it comes to good grades and schoolwork, I’ve had to realize that I’m doing it for my future even when the current version of me doesn’t feel motivated.

Q: What are you most excited about during your last year here?

A: I’m excited about a lot of things, but my top two are definitely prom and walking the stage at graduation! I love dressing up, going out with my best friend, and dancing all night long at school dances, but I'm also excited to see all of my progress and hard work when I'm finally handed my diploma. I’ve struggled with school since middle school, and I've gone through a lot of sleepless nights, draining days, and exhaustion, just to finally see that it will be worth it all in the end. 

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I’m not really planning on going to college, but I know that I've always had a passion for makeup, so I'm going to go into cosmetology, and I'll be starting an apprenticeship at the hair salon that my mom frequents. I’m going to do that for a few years and hopefully progress towards becoming a special effects makeup artist on television for movies and shows! 

Q: What is something about you that nobody really knows?

A: I was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia when I was an infant, and I ended up having to get a liver transplant when I was six months old. I became a Make-A-Wish kid recently, and I like to tell people my story to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation. 

Thank you so much to Sally for participating in our second-ever Rebel Highlight! We loved being able to get to know our students better in their school and personal lives. 

Next time, whenever you are wandering around the building, try to meet someone new and start conversations with them if you haven’t before. It can be through complimenting their clothes or a keychain on their bag, or even saying hello or goodbye to them as a way to start a conversation. It’s important to remember that we are not the only ones wrapped up in our busy lives, and you can learn a lot and even make a new friend if you get out of your shell and put the effort out there.

Thank you so much for reading, and Go Rebels!