Reflecting upon how DGS has impacted students

High school can seem like a hard time for students and staff. Students get tossed homework assignments and projects while teachers spend hours grading and in meetings. We sometimes forget to take a moment to remember all of the things that high school has allowed us to do.

Eight students and two staff members reflected on how DGS has impacted them as a person, what one of their proudest moments from DGS was and if they feel that DGS has changed them.

Mackenzie Johnson:

Senior Mackenzie Johnson has been involved at DGS for all four years of her high school experience. She is a part of the girls swim and dive team, Operation Snowball, Mad Dash and ACE (Athletes Committed to Excellence). DGS has helped Johnson be able to find her true self and be able to gain experience in the career path that she wants to follow.

“DGS has helped me to find myself and allowed me to gain experience in what I want to do as a career and leadership [skills] with different activities that I have been apart of such as Snowball and Mad Dash,” Johnson said.

Danny De La Torre:

Senior Danny De La Torre was involved on the boys soccer team while at DGS. De La Torre experienced one of his proudest moments at DGS on accident when he tried out for the soccer team his freshman year.

“The proudest moment would most likely be my freshman year. It was my first year ever playing soccer [and] it was one of those things that I just kind of tried out by accident and I ended up enjoying a brand new sport,” De La Torre said.

Jordan Copeland:

Junior Jordan Copeland is on the varsity dance team and also a part of the hair and makeup crew for theater productions. Copeland believes that DGS has shaped her into a better person than when she first came to DGS as a freshman.

“I think it has made me a really hard worker because with all the activities that I am in, whether it be sports or theater, everyone around me is always working 110 percent so I think that those around me have made me a hard worker,” Copeland said.

Nick Schmidt-Bailey:

Junior Nick Schmidt-Bailey is a varsity cheerleader and also a part of multiple leadership clubs such as Operation Snowball and Mad Dash. Schmidt-Bailey feels that DGS has changed him for the better in his social life.

“I am definitely a different person than I was in middle school. I talk to new people, I enjoy new things, I’ve learned how to be a different person and how to be [more] social,” Schmidt-Bailey said.

Alyssa Zayed:

Sophomore Alyssa Zayed is a junior varsity swimmer on the girls swim and dive team. Zayed experienced one of her proudest moments at the West Suburban Gold Conference swim meet on Nov 1, 2019.

“One of my proudest moments was when I broke a minute in the 100 freestyle at conference,” Zayed said.

Bobby Sayre:
Sophomore Bobby Sayre is a varsity swimmer on the boys swim and dive team. Sayre was on the sectional team as a freshman and even is a record holder for the 200 freestyle relay team.

“My proudest achievement was by far breaking the sophomore 200 freestyle relay record,” Sayre said.

Casey Muzykansky:

Freshman Casey Muzykansky is a part of the girls swim and dive team along with operation Snowball. Muzykansky feels that DGS has helped shape her into a well-rounded student.

“DGS has helped me find myself as a person and it has helped me make sure that I know how to find my GPA and be organized,” Muzykansky said.

Nick Rojas:

Freshman Nick Rojas is currently not apart of any sports or activities, but he is looking forward to joining some in his upcoming years at DGS. Rojas feels that DGS has allowed him to meet a lot of new people.

“DGS has allowed me to meet a lot of new people and work with a lot of new people. It has really built me as a person and changed how I deal with stuff on a day to day basis,” Rojas said.

Lauren Berg:
Social studies teacher Lauren Berg has been working at DGS for six years and is involved with girls softball and the teacher union. Berg was impacted when she was the head coach of the softball team.

“DGS has allowed me to have my first head coach position for softball. I really [never] had to manage adults and a team like that before so getting that opportunity has really impacted me,” Berg said.

Dajuan Brooks:

Music teacher Dajuan Brooks has been working at DGS for two years and is involved with all of the bands including marching band and pep band. Brooks feels that DGS has changed him a lot for the better.

“I think I am a way more loving and passionate person than I have been in the past and I am definitely more giving because that is what all the kids are like here, so that makes me want to give more, and it feels like one big giving tree,” Brooks said.