Senior year is supposed to be your final hurrah as a high school student. It should be filled with excitement, slacking off on schoolwork, and hanging out with friends. However, for senior Nora Boyd, a recent transfer student from New Mexico, this year will be spent making new friends and getting accustomed to how Garfield works. One of the things helping her make a smooth transition is being a member of the Garfield cross country team.

Boyd began running cross country last year at her school in New Mexico and decided to continue this year because of how much she enjoyed it.

“I like running, I could grow with it,” Boyd said. “It seems like something I have a chance of improving at.”

Improving on her personal best time of 24 minutes is one of Boyd’s goals for this season.

“Looking at her,” Jr. Captain Naomi Hummel said of Nora, “I think she will run a lot faster than 24 minutes.”

By the end of the season, Boyd hopes to have surpassed Hummel’s best time of 21 minutes.

Coach Annie Hobbs has high hopes for Boyd despite her being new to the team.

“She is strong and in shape,” said Hobbs. “She presents a real challenge to a few of the girls.”

Cross country is not all that Boyd does. She also enjoys participating in Triathlons. This is where her enjoyment of competitive swimming comes in handy.

Playing cello is another hobby of Boyd’s. She has been a cellist since fourth grade and shows real diligence in practicing and getting better. The cello has gone with her in past summers to visit her dad in Hawaii and Seattle. It has even accompanied her to Canada and to the Caribbean so she could practice while on vacation.

“Music is very important to me,” said Boyd. “I like the idea of being a part of it.”

Boyd moved to Seattle last summer from Santa Fe, New Mexico to be with her dad. She chose to come to Garfield based solely on its academic reputation. She didn’t visit the school until the first day of cross country practice.

“It [Garfield] has a very good reputation,” said Boyd. “Reading about it, it seemed like Garfield would be very competitive academically.”

So far, Boyd is still having trouble getting used to life at Garfield. After attending a private school with 150 students over six grades, she has deemed Garfield “a little strange.”

Boyd will become better as the year goes on, both in cross country and in the routines of Garfield. Her ambitiousness and drive will help her attain her goals and hopefully make her stay at Garfield a happy one.