Freshman, Natalie McNeely is the freshman student of the month. This means we’re gonna take a deeper look at this star student. Let’s get to know Natalie.

Natalie is very involved at Battle High School. She is in show choir, acting troupe, drama club, and math club. Show choir one of her major commitments is one of her passions. “Show choir is like any other choir class, but with a bunch of really talented people,” says McNeely. McNeely has show choir practice every Tuesday and Thursday. The activity is very competitive. Students all around the nation compete at competitions in their areas to see which school has the best show choir. On top of this McNeely attends acting troupe and drama club. These clubs expand her experience in the singing-acting fields. “We recently put on an improv night which was honestly so much fun! It was like the show “Whose Line is it Anyways,” said McNeely. To extend her education she attends math club. She likes it because it enhances her math skills. Natalie stated, “I joined all of these clubs because in one way or another they make me happya�� The same goes for acting on stage. It’s a feeling that’s indescribable.”

Natalie also loves battle. She believes the middle school was a stepping stone to prepare her for high school. She enjoys the amount of freedom given to students in high school and the number of resources available. McNeely sees these resources as advantages to pave her way to college in the near future. “My whole life I have been told that I was (going to college). It was never a choice in my house. Everyone in my family has a higher education, and I’ll do anything to make sure I’m prepared to go.”

Natalie’s influences not only come from her family; but also her religion. McNeely stated, ” My biggest role model is Jesus, to be honesta�� he is a person who died for what he believed in.”

McNeely also mentioned that her mother is her greatest cheerleader. “She always makes sure I’m on track with what I need to do and I’m really appreciative of that.”

Outside of her usual schedule, Natalie loves songwriting, which is actually one of her hidden passions. Even though she doesn’t consider herself the creative type, she really enjoys it. McNeely recently went to Nashville to Study with famous songwriters and producers in the CCM industry. McNeely said, “It was such as blessing to meet such talented people, they took my breath away.” McNeely mentioned that many people are surprised to hear about it so she keeps it to herself as much as she can.