While memes would have us believe that students all spend their lives crying over towering piles of homework, these Watkins Mill students break the mold by keeping their grades up and picking up some productive hobbies on the side.

All while maintaining good grades and working part time at Best Buy, senior Faith Acuavera has been a model for about four years now. She started modeling at her old school, Oxon Hill High School in Prince Georges County, and still models with New Generation Models, based out of Oxon Hill.

The models have the opportunity to walk in balls and competitions to win various prizes. Acuavera’s tip for other girls aspiring to be models is, “It’s all about being confident and not giving up. If you’re not confident in yourself, you can’t expect anyone else to look at you like, ‘That girl can model.'” She added that, “Even if you don’t get it the first couple of times, don’t give up.”

Senior Benjamin Bacorro’s friend introduced him to rap in sixth grade. The alluring words and rhythm captivated him, and he’s been hooked ever since. He recently released a song called “City of God” that reached over 2,000 views in less than 24 hours after it was released.

Bacorro says rapping is an extremely important element is his life. “I love rapping because it keeps my mind off things,” Bacorro said. “This is the one thing that holds me down, keeps me centered, the one thing that actually drives me. The support I get from people for my music is dope too. I recently did a GoFundMe for a new mic and I raised $150 in a day.”

Bacorro’s key to making time for everything is he just doesn’t rest. “I will go to sleep at like 2am after getting finished with my school work and then my music,” he added. “In the morning, I’ll be exhausted. But I will have people waiting for my music excited to hear it and it’s such a big passion. Why sleep?”

Junior Serena Spickler is in the full IB diploma program. Along with taking seven rigorous classes, Spickler is in a various number of clubs and has a job. With all that on her plate, she still makes time to make and sell jewelry. 

Spickler loves working with arts and crafts.  “Since I was little, I would make jewelry with my dad,” Spickler said. “I did it for fun, but I decided to do it for a business because I realized I made really nice pieces.”

Her jewelry is made of real gemstones and crystals. She sells her items on an app called Close 5. “I’m making my own website,” Spickler added. “So I’ll slowly be moving away from Close 5.”

Students like these prove that life doesn’t have to be about just school all the time.  If you have something you love, pursue it. “If you want to balance school work, clubs, a job and other things, just stay on top of everything and don’t give up on it just because it seems hard,” Spickler said.