Transcript:

LOZACH:

Hello. This is Talking On Sunshine, and we’re your co-hosts, Beatrix Lozach and-

PITA:

Riley Pita.

LOZACH:

Today we have Iris LaRue. Iris, would you like to introduce yourself a bit?

LARUE:

My name is Iris LaRue. Here at McCallum. I am one of the swim team captains. I’m also choir president here at Mac. I am co-president for History center. I’m also an officer for NHS. Outside of school, I work at A Town on Burnet Road and I do volunteering with Generation Serve, where I’m an activity leader.

PITA:

How did you get involved in all of these activities, really?

LARUE:

So I started my freshman year. I knew coming to high school, I definitely wanted to join a lot of clubs, but I wasn’t really sure how to get, like, involved. So I went to a few club fairs and I signed up for a few clubs, but none of them really stuck with me. I had been in choir for since like sixth grade, so that was kind of where I found, like most of my community, like, rather than like finding like through clubs. I didn’t really realize that choir was a big part of my life until junior year, last year, and that’s when I realized that I kind of wanted to be in a more, like, leadership position. We had some problems with directors in the past. So I kind of want to, like, learn from those mistakes and, like, better the program. Also, through high school, I found my love for history.

LOZACH:

What specifically about history, choir, swimming, binds these together and draws you in about each of them?

LARUE:

I would say the people really like that’s my probably my favorite part about all of them, like for choir, I really like the community. I really like that choir is so accepting of everybody, and I really want to continue making that, like, a priority in the program. Music is a big part of my life.

LOZACH:

So I know your dad owns Breakaway Records. What was it like growing up in a house that so deeply valued and cherished music?

LARUE:

A big part of my childhood was my dad, like, in addition to, owning a record store, he also like, did a lot of DJ gigs. So I just remember, like, as a kid, going to like those little DJ gigs and hearing him, like, play all different kinds of music and that just being like, really like kind of a cool thing to do. So yeah, I feel like my music like taste have definitely been a lot more expanded, and then also my dad is like a big musician, so he also was the one that encouraged me to join choir in sixth grade. He’s really pushed me to, you know, like further my music ability. And I’m really thankful for that.

PITA:

How long have you been involved in swimming?

LARUE:

I was on the UT Longhorns, like junior Longhorns team. I did that, for like, two years in elementary school, and then in middle school, I just didn’t really have much of an interest in swimming. But then when I got to high school, I realized that I wanted to be part of a sport still. So I joined the swim team my freshman year, and, it was definitely, really, really hard at first because I hadn’t swam for a long time and I was one of the slowest people on the team. But, I have definitely built myself up a lot from being the slowest person.

LOZACH:

From being one of the slowest people on the team to being a captain!

LARUE:

Yes. Yeah, it’s definitely been a journey. I kept on, like putting my all into every practice and working really hard. That’s when I kind of found my love for swim after like I worked really hard and got a little bit better. I had a great time swimming with my friends, and even though again, it wasn’t the fastest, like, you know, it was still it was still fun. It’s been really interesting to like, look back and like, look at my journey from because it does seem kind of crazy, like from the slowest on the team to captain. Leadership is being able to encourage people and showing other people that like, you don’t need to be the fastest, you just need to put your all into what you do. Now that we’re getting into the swim season, again, we’re just trying to encourage people, we’re holding people after practice, we’re organizing team dinners to make it more of a community.

LOZACH:

Do you think that throughout your leadership positions you have learned the value of grit, the value of determination? Are there any specific instances as a leader where you’ve had to encounter setbacks, challenges? How have you risen to the occasion?

LARUE:

I would say definitely like there’s an example I used before, like being able to stick with the sport. That just kind of like solidified to me that like, okay, if I work hard and I am determined to do something like, I can do it and it’ll become like something I enjoy doing.

LOZACH:

So is that stick-to-it-iveness something you try to encourage in your teammates, in your fellow choir members?

LARUE:

Yes, definitely. People they’re so quick to like, quit something as soon as it gets hard. But I think I really try, like as a leader to encourage people, like even when things get difficult, like even when you’re struggling through a swim set or you’re just having a really hard time in choir. I think it’s really important to stick to it and like push through, because in the end it’ll all be worth it.

LOZACH:

You try to live by that philosophy.

LARUE:

Yes, definitely.

PITA:

How do you balance all these leadership roles on top of, like, regular schoolwork and also college apps?

LARUE:

It’s definitely been a struggle, I would say, especially this year. This past like August and September has have been kind of stressful because of college applications and on top of that, doing all these activities and stuff. But again, I just try to remind myself, you know, if I work really hard right now, in like three months, everything will be a lot more simple. I guess, like balancing wise, like I really try to use my time to its max. If I’m like, you know, sitting in a class and we don’t really have anything to do, then I’m working on something else for another class or I’m, you know, planning out something for later that day. I just try to use my time, like when I get home after school. I’m trying to, like, work on something else or, get some homework done or work on my essays for college apps or my supplementals. Oftentimes I feel like kind of overwhelmed, like I don’t have that much time for myself, but I’ve kind of learned to like, work that into balancing things, also setting some time aside for myself, in addition to working on everything.

LOZACH:

Do you have any specific coping mechanisms for when the world just feels too overwhelming and you struggle a little bit?

LARUE:

So if I feel kind of overwhelmed, sometimes I’ll just like go take a walk outside or like go on like a little like jog or run around the neighborhood. Sometimes food is also a big thing for me. I’ll treat myself and go out to lunch or go out to dinner and get myself something that I really like, like some Thai food or something. Talking through things when I feel really stressed out is definitely something that’s also really helpful.

PITA:

Do you plan to continue swimming or music or history and later in life?

LARUE:

Yes, I’m not going to go to college for swim. But I would love to like, be on some kind of, like club team or something like that, or with a group of friends, like, we could just, like, swim. Then for choir, I’m not going to go to college for fine arts, but I definitely want to join some kind of, choir, like an acapella group or, you know, just like a big group choir or maybe a women’s choir. Then for history, I’m going to major in psychology, actually in college. I definitely am interested in taking history classes.

LOZACH:

I know you’ve done some pretty extensive work with Generation Serve, so describe those experiences. When did you get started?

LARUE:  So Generation serve is like I don’t know. It’s like my favorite thing like it’s really a unique program because it’s all about like family volunteering. My whole job is that I’m leading the activity. So, like, I get probably like 5 to 10 families per activity, and then I’m leading them through the activities, showing them what to do, leading some kind of trash pickup or like, gardening activity. So I really, I really like it because it’s really like it connects me all different kinds of people and all different kinds of families. I got started with it when I was, a little kid. I did, a bunch of volunteering with my mom and my sister when I was little through generation Service. It was really like sophomore year when I, got a car and I was able to take myself to like all the different, like, volunteer activities around Austin. I want to be the person leading these activities and like, I’m ready to step up and like, you know, take charge. I started out as like a co-leader, which I was just like helping the adult leader, kind of like with the activity. And then I did this little interview thing and they were like, I think you’re ready. Like, let’s make you a leader. And so I try to lead like once every weekend.

LOZACH:

As a leader in Generation Serve, do you strive to be a leader that you’d wish you’d had at some point in your development? Do you feel as if this is almost a full circle moment for you?

LARUE:

I definitely feel like it’s full circle. I take a lot of inspiration from the leaders I’ve had in the past.

LOZACH:

All right. Well, on that note, this has been talking on sunshine with your co-hosts. I’m Beatrix Lozach-

PITA:

I’m Riley Pita-

LOZACH:

and Go Knights.