What is your name and grade? My name is Horia Beca, I’m in tenth grade, sophomore.

What is your favorite memory as a Niles North athlete? My favorite memory was definitely getting onto Varsity [Boys Volleyball] as a sophomore. You don’t really see it that often. I would say a second favorite would [be] going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the state [Hinsdale Central] which is definitely a really fun memory for me to have as an athlete here at Niles North. I believe [Hinsdale Central] either third or fourth in State as of now.

What are your goals and aspirations regarding sports? Will you continue them after graduating? My goals, here in high school, is to try to get a conference victory, conference title, and hopefully win regionals with this team. Because I think the team we have now is probably one of our best teams that we’ve ever had with the program. For after high school, you know, some stuff for college, I feel that I might be able to play in college but most likely on a club team. Nothing that special or important.

What do you plan to do in the upcoming school year or senior year for academics and sports? Academics, for the [junior] year, this is really going to be a heavy academic year on me, especially with a lot of other people; junior year is probably the most important. I’m taking all honors, all APs, it’s really going to be tough on me, because, you know, I’m trying to get into a good school. And your junior year is really heavy on your application to college and universities. I also plan to stick with volleyball throughout this year…I’m gonna try to grind as hard as I can. In my senior year, I’m planning to maybe, hopefully finish up my…prerequisites to pass [high school].

What are 3 words that people close to you would use to describe you? Definitely talkative, they say I talk a lot. I don’t personally see it that much but I also kind of see where they’re coming from. Probably lazy, even though I think I’m hardworking. I think I’m always doing something that’s good for myself like working out, doing homework, stretching, meditating. Third word…I guess just easygoing. I just kind of do what I want in life. I do what feels nice, what feels comfortable, my whole life right now is kind of just easygoing.

What are you most interested in doing after high school regarding college? Do you have a major ready? I don’t have a major ready. I’ve always been kind of one of those people who used to think that they were going into this one major. I was prepared to go to polisci (political science), then I wanted to go to law school, wanted to be a lawyer, and I even joined mock trial because of that. But then, I kind of just lost touch, I lost the interest of being a lawyer, and now…I’m trying to find myself and I’m going to try to find what I want to do after college.

What’s your funniest memory in high school so far? That’s tough. There was this one time where these guys…were fighting during school…in the lunchroom. These guys were fighting over a girl…it was more like a verbal fight, and I just thought it was pretty. I was laughing about it with my friends.

What advice would you have given yourself in the past, before going to high school? It’s harder than you think, but not in class, out of class. You’ve got to quit it with the video games, quit it with the “having fun,” you’ve got to focus on your homework.

Who is your biggest inspiration/hero? Probably my grandpa. He lived in Romania, he was always hard working from what I heard but he died of cancer before I was born so I never got to meet him.

What is your biggest accomplishment regarding school, self, or athletics? I don’t have really big accomplishments academically. I guess, athletics, you know, just being on this really good team for varsity. Hopefully we’re really close to a conference title so I think that’s something I could put on my list of accomplishments.

What keeps you going through hard times? What has kept you going in the past? Just the thought that, like, you know, I’m going to be able to finish it and I’ll be able to do what I want. I’m being judged and pushed around by society and school throughout my life right now. I just think that I’ve got to stick with this and I’ll be fine, eventually, and I’ll be able to do what I want.

What keeps you up at night? What keeps me up at night? Dude, my missing homework. I’m like, “Should I go to go to sleep or should I stay up doing my homework, I don’t know.” It’s like, I’m always stressing.