For senior Nia Bridgeman, high school has been about learning to grow both individually and as part of a team. A member of sideline cheerleading, gymnastics, and track, Bridgeman has also found leadership beyond athletics through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where she serves as a student leader.
Of all her activities, gymnastics has shaped her the most. “It’s an individual sport, but you still compete as a team,” she said. “You have to get out of that individual mindset and into a more collective one. It’s taught me how to be more of a team player and community member.”
Bridgeman’s favorite part of HEHS is its diversity. “It’s so cool to get to hear different stories, languages, and cultures unfold right before my eyes,” she said. “You’re not just reading about it, you’re living it.”
She remembers the school’s 50-year anniversary celebrations during her sophomore year as one of her favorite memories. “The cupcakes, the football field event, all of it showed how much effort the staff put into making our school special,” she said.
Her French teacher, Madame Carey, has had the greatest influence on her. “She’s been with me all four years and has seen me grow,” Nia said. “She’s actually the one who nominated me for court, which makes it even more meaningful.”
If her younger self could see her now, Bridgeman thinks she’d be surprised. “When I was younger, I only did gymnastics,” she said. “Now I’m involved in so much more, inside and outside of school.”
When asked what the best advice she’d ever been given was, she kept it simple: “Take it one day at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself by stressing about the future; live in the present.”
Bridgeman hopes to be remembered as kind, generous, and forgiving, someone who made others feel that they belonged.
