Freshman Friday: Laila Person

Megan Glasgow, features + in-depth editor| December 4, 2020

Laila Person, freshman, prepares to hit the ball at the varsity volleyball district championship against Cor Jesu. Photo courtesy of St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Laila Person, freshman, takes her place on the volleyball court before the next serve, staring through the net at girls taller and older than her. She knows from the previous play that their aggressive hits pack a punch. Her KHS teammates wait eagerly behind her, ready to cheer after every point Person, the only freshman on the varsity team, scores.

“It was hard being the only freshman, but it was really fun. It was like hanging out with a bunch of big sisters,” Person said. “It built me up stronger and made me a better player [and] teammate. I really wanted to play my freshman season and I’m so glad I got to do that.”

Person said along with the volleyball team, the upperclassmen and staff were welcoming and supportive during her first months at KHS. She said that despite the school’s COVID-19 restrictions, everyone has helped make the transition to high school as easy as possible for the freshman class.

“The first day was actually better than I thought it was gonna be,” Person said. “I only got lost one time so that’s really good. All the teachers and upperclassmen were willing to help. [The teachers] are all really nice, [and] super involved. They want you to succeed and you feel like they want you to succeed, so it makes you want to put in the work.”

Person’s favorite class so far is Honors Geometry with Mr. Wojtow. She said that while she finds some of her classes boring, Wojtow never fails to make her laugh. His humor has made it easier for her to do well in math, a subject she said she already excels at.

“He makes it really fun and he gets off topic a lot, which I like,” Person said. “He always ties it into the lesson somehow. We could be talking about pies and he ties it back into indirect proofs. It keeps me engaged.”

Though she is anxious to see how KHS will be different once the pandemic ends and classes are more normal, she is eager to see what the next four years hold for her. One of her biggest goals is to have a positive impact on her sports teams, academics and fellow students and teachers.

“I’m looking forward to hopefully leaving my mark in some type of way at KHS,” Person said. “If my name ever came up in a conversation when I’m long gone, it’ll only be good things. You always want to leave a good reputation, so hopefully I leave some type of mark on someone.”