The crackle of stones against his shoes, Noah Lincke (12) runs on the dirt trail. Music pumps through his ears and a wave of relaxation takes over him as he explores the newly found route.

Towards the beginning of his high school years, Noah would constantly worry about his grades and academics; however, he soon realized that he had to take care of himself outside of those priorities.

“When I came into high school, I had this mindset of ‘grades are absolutely everything’, and I wasn’t nearly as happy in middle school and my early teen years,” Noah said. “I think an important decision I made after my freshman year was that [my] mental well-being is just as or more significant than [my] grades.”

To address those concerns, he began involving himself more with activities outside of school, such as track, as an outlet for relieving stress.

“My extracurriculars also help with that because they relax me and clear my mind, making me feel more productive and ready to work when I get back to studying or doing homework,” Noah said.

Of all of the outside of school activities he was involved in, Noah focused on track due to the refreshing feeling he was able to get from doing it. Although he started running for charity and competitively, Noah grew to love running as a way to calm himself and to make new friends.

“I feel like it’s one of the best sports to get to know people because you have all this time, especially during long-distance runs, where you can meet and talk to a whole bunch of new people,” he said. “I just really enjoy running by myself too to just relax and listen to music.”

Additionally, orchestra has become largely important in his life. Because he has enjoyed the atmosphere from that community, he plans to continue playing the violin in college. Sayon Biswas (12), a close friend of his, describes Noah’s love for orchestra.

“Going to his last orchestra concert, it was really fun to see him give that performance,” Sayon said. “He is one of the most dedicated musicians in our grade and greeting him afterward was really nice.”

Despite describing Noah as more of an introverted person, Noah’s former math teacher Anthony Silk explains how that can still be his strength.

“He’s not a complete extrovert, but he’ll talk to anybody, [work] with anybody, and he’s always got a smile on his face,” Silk said. “He’s not the most outspoken person, but that’s okay. The strong but quiet types can run the world.”

Throughout his whole high school experience, Noah has felt that the most important thing he’s learned was how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“I think the way I’ve been able to find a balance is probably what I’m most proud of,” he said. “My parents definitely push me more towards academics and making sure that it’s a priority, but I think I had to find that balance on my own. “

Alongside his view on life, Noah has also learned the significance of presenting himself in an authentic way.

“I think it’s really important that you’re genuine and aren’t trying to make an impression on other people that isn’t who you are. Even [if I] disagree with someone or don’t like the way they act, I’ll always respect someone more for standing up for what they believe [in] and not just trying to please others,” Noah said.