What is your name and grade? My name is Charis Pak and I’m a senior. 

What has been your favorite part of tennis? In tennis, I really enjoy the community aspect of it. Not only are we one team working towards the same goals, but we get to share life together and cheer each other on while achieving these goals together/ 

What’s your biggest takeaway from high school? My biggest takeaway from high school is that results come based on the decisions you make for yourself. Whether that be the people you choose to surround yourself with or the way you decide to spend your time socially or educationally, these are the decisions that will make up the outcome of your life and the character you hold as a person. 

What is your favorite memory at North? I don’t have a specific favorite memory, but in general, my favorite memories at Niles North have been the simple daily interactions I have with peers/teachers I’ve gotten to know. I love that we don’t have to be super close to make each other laugh or just talk about life in general. I think it’s the small day-to-day interactions with various people that make school worth coming back to. 

What’s your favorite part about being in an orchestra? My favorite part about being in an orchestra is definitely my best friend, Sofia. She’s the reason I joined the orchestra and it’s fun to play our instruments together and go on orchestra trips. I also really love the community and the conversations I have with my peers and Ms. Page. I’m really thankful to have played my instrument throughout high school, all with the support of the people around me.

What’s your favorite part about H2O? My favorite part about H2O is connecting with the other Christians at Niles North. It’s really amazing to see that even at this school, I can meet with people who also believe in the same faith I do, having a community I could connect with on a deeper level. There is also so much support and it feels really comfortable to practice and share my faith with fellow believers.

What is something most people don’t know about you? Something about me that most people don’t know is that I’m actually left-handed! When I used to live in Korea, all my kindergarten teachers would try to make me use my right hand to try and “correct” me. Now, I feel like my being left-handed is where my creativity comes from when baking or doing crafts I enjoy.

If you could give your freshman self advice, what would you tell her? If I could give my freshman self advice, I would tell her not to be too anxious about how I’ll fit in or how hard the classes might be– so much can change in 4 years, and it’s not worth worrying about how others will think, because everyone ends up finding their groove in high school.

If you could give advice to underclassmen, what would you tell them? If I could give advice to the underclassmen, I would tell them that everyone takes some time to adjust! Don’t just get peer pressured into just joining or doing something because everyone else is. Although peer pressure can be good, it’s important to take time to discover your passions to know how you want to spend your time. Definitely get to know yourself first, to know what kind of people you want to have relationships with. It’s good to be picky with your friends and go against the grain.

How do you balance school and extracurriculars? I try to put aside a specific non-negotiable amount of time to dedicate my attention to certain activities and subjects. I found that if I tell myself I’ll come around to completing tasks when I come around to them, I never get things done, so I also try to prioritize certain tasks.