Introduction
Biography: My name is Colette Ickes. Throughout my life I have moved many different times and have attended many different schools. I made friends, few of which I talk to now. Nothing has really stuck with me throughout my life but one thing. Dance. I've been dancing since I was five years old. Because I have moved so much, I've attended many different studios and have had a lot of experiences, some amazing and some not so good. Despite the bad, dance is what has made me the happiest. Dance is what makes me feel alive. When I found out I was going to attend AMES, I was worried that dance would not be a part of my life anymore until I found out about Drill Team. Before my freshman year, I auditioned for Cottonwood High School's Drill Team and made the team. I remember being so excited to be able to do what I loved every day. Even though I didn't really make friends or get close with any of the other girls on the team, I still enjoyed every tear, every injury, every drop of sweat and blood that came from Drill. Even though I am not on the team anymore, I still dance almost everyday and I can't wait to continue the next day.
During my sophomore year, in 2013, I was going through a lot of change and adversity in my life and it left me in a rough spot. This then resulted in me moving to Colorado for the last three-quarters of the year. Two months after moving to Colorado, my parents put me in an online high school called Keystone. I was able to restart and finish the year of school in about five months. In June of 2014, I was able to move back to Utah and was luckily able to attend AMES again for my junior and senior years of high school.
When I came back to AMES, it was almost like I had a fresh start again. I met new people, made new friends and I was able to restart my reputation at the school. Now, I have a huge group of friends whom I love and care about deeply even though I may not be close to all of them. Even though I do attend AMES, I have also made some amazing friendships with Cottonwood students. These friendships I have built over the past couple of years have really helped me feel more comfortable with myself. They have helped me see who I am as a person and have also taught me to love myself. I may or may not see most of these people after I graduate but they have all made a huge impact on my life. I may not have as unique stories as some other students, but I think that since I have had amazing experiences at AMES, I've gotten something better out of my high school involvement than most "normal" students.
Quote/Poem: "Inches" from Any Given Sunday is, personally, one of the best speeches I've ever heard. This speech has helped me get through school, sports and even hardships in my life. It reminds me that I have to keep pushing myself harder and harder in order to get to where I want to be in life, even if it's just by one inch at a time.
During my sophomore year, in 2013, I was going through a lot of change and adversity in my life and it left me in a rough spot. This then resulted in me moving to Colorado for the last three-quarters of the year. Two months after moving to Colorado, my parents put me in an online high school called Keystone. I was able to restart and finish the year of school in about five months. In June of 2014, I was able to move back to Utah and was luckily able to attend AMES again for my junior and senior years of high school.
When I came back to AMES, it was almost like I had a fresh start again. I met new people, made new friends and I was able to restart my reputation at the school. Now, I have a huge group of friends whom I love and care about deeply even though I may not be close to all of them. Even though I do attend AMES, I have also made some amazing friendships with Cottonwood students. These friendships I have built over the past couple of years have really helped me feel more comfortable with myself. They have helped me see who I am as a person and have also taught me to love myself. I may or may not see most of these people after I graduate but they have all made a huge impact on my life. I may not have as unique stories as some other students, but I think that since I have had amazing experiences at AMES, I've gotten something better out of my high school involvement than most "normal" students.
Quote/Poem: "Inches" from Any Given Sunday is, personally, one of the best speeches I've ever heard. This speech has helped me get through school, sports and even hardships in my life. It reminds me that I have to keep pushing myself harder and harder in order to get to where I want to be in life, even if it's just by one inch at a time.
AMES Memory: My favorite AMES memory is during my junior year of high school. As sophomore year ended, I was able to move back to Utah from Colorado and I was given the opportunity to attend AMES again. The first day of school had a lot of built up anxiety. I wasn't sure how people would react to me being back. It got to the point where I thought people didn't even notice I was gone. The first day of school came around. I walked into the building and into south pod. It took a few moments for people to realize I was there. When they did, I was crowded by people and hugs and hundreds of questions. It was a little overwhelming for me, but it was one of the best feelings I had in a long time. It was one of the few days that I realized my friends and others cared about me after thinking I didn't matter for the longest time. That day is really special to me, making it one of my favorite memories while attending AMES.