“Life is the sum of your choices.” That quote by Albert Camus, a Nobel Prize-winning novelist, is vividly brought to life in the story of one particular man I know. I would like to share with you someone in our school which has influenced leadership in his peers, community, and school. I would like to give a tribute to a graduating Senior Tristen Smith.

Tristen at first was like any other student that changed throughout his time in high school. In the interview, I asked him a question about his time in High school that made him who he is today and his response was this, “It changed me a lot because it led me to open up to other opportunities such as summer programs, student council (Technology Expert), and JROTC.” Tristen in his time at High School developed leadership skills through a summer program called CRMS HS2, one of the summer programs he mentioned is a 3-year 5 week course that taught him the leadership skills he now uses today. Tristen had attended the third year to graduate from the program and was tasked with the duty to be a mentor who guided other students through the program and make them feel comfortable there.

In JROTC he was known as an S4. A leadership position in the Cadet Battalion Rank where he supervises the cadets and keep the JPA up to date. He also has a lot of other tasks and responsibilities to make up for what he is now today. The people who helped him are what made him what he is today. He mentions not just from school but outside of school like a lot of people who helped him as his family, counselor, and the teachers he established good relationships with.

Overall, Tristen Smith has had an exceptionally great year and his recent TCU Community Scholar Award covers his whole 4-year expenses to TCU. Thank you, Tristen , for taking the time to interview me and learn a little more about who he is as a person and scholar at the Young Men’s Leadership Academy.