Senior Adia Saurey rattles off a list of the activities she participated in during her time at Whitefish High School.

She was a four-year athlete on the cross country team, was part of the speech team, played tennis, is a member of National Honor Society, served as a freshman mentor, plays the French horn and piano, she has acted and worked backstage for community plays, participated in Model United Nations, a member of FREEFLOW, and is part of the womens choir.

“I like to try new things and put myself out there,” Saurey says simply.

When she was getting ready to enter the high school as a freshman her mom encouraged her to get involved in a sport. While she didn’t count herself as a runner, she joined the cross country team because practice began two weeks before the school year began.

“I thought it would be good way to introduce myself so I’d know people in the halls,” she said. “I was captain my senior year. I just loved the atmosphere because it’s an individual sport, but you also work as a team encouraging each other.”

Though she had acted in several plays, Saurey didn’t see herself as much of a public speaker, but that didn’t stop her from joining the high school speech and debate team. She participated in Lincoln-Douglas debate and placed at the Class A state meet in informative speech her senior year.

She’s proud of her seventh place finish at state knowing she beat out a tough crowd of competition to make it to the final rounds of competition.

“I never thought I’d join the speech team,” she said. “But I’m glad I did. It helped me come out of my shell.”

During competition, her speech focused on Edgar Allan Poe because she wanted to know more about his life and speak about a topic people would find interesting. She was also inspired to talk about Poe because in the little free time she has Saurey likes to relax by writing “realistic fiction.”

“I have the beginnings of several novels,” she said. “I work on them when I have time and some day I’d like to publish a novel.”

Saurey earned a superior rating this year for the French horn and piano at the district musical festival earning a trip to the state competition. She’s been acting since the fourth grade when she played an orphan in “Annie” and most recently she played Sister Mary Lazarus in “Sister Act.” She says she loves musical theater and was excited for the first time this school year to be able to join the womens choir after class schedule conflicts kept her from taking a choir class until now.

“This year I’ve sung a lot more — it’s a unique way to make music,” she said. “When you play an instrument you have that, but with your voice there’s nothing to help you.”

After graduation on June 3, Saurey plans to attend the honors program at Montana State University. She hasn’t selected a major yet because she wants to explore her options, but she does know she is interested in writing and foreign relations. She’ll continue to try new things just as she has done in high school because it seems to have paid off.

“I’ve learned so much by putting myself out there,” she said. “It’s been a fun thing for me to do.”