Senior Nkaji Mwangala is involved in Singley in a multitude of ways. From Senior Class Secretary to Ambassadors Treasurer, she’s done it all. Not only does Mwangala continue to better Singley Academy, but she is also a part of the Firetruck crew at MacArthur High School. Mwangala’s need to help others is what drives her to take on these demanding roles. Amongst juggling academics and extracurriculars, Mwangala has said that seeing her classmates excited is what makes it all worthwhile. For example, while coming up with ideas for events and fundraising is stressful, Mwangala states “When we revealed the prom theme, everyone was so excited and lots of people approached me afterward to express their appreciation for our choices.”
Balancing responsibilities across different roles and still being able to make time for school work and personal interests is one of the most common struggles that students face. When asked how she manages, Mwangala replied “Use your resources. I used the flexibility of my teachers, as well as their insight so that when I take the time to complete an assignment, I do it correctly and completely. Also doing it in class so I can ask my friends for help and making the most of my time so that I can make time later in the day to rest and take care of myself.”
Mwangala got involved in the Firetruck Crew at MacArthur High School through their old general, Cheyenne, who recommended her to be a good fit for the program. She then applied for the program, was accepted, and has been enjoying her time with them ever since. The Firetruck Crew is a group of students that promotes school spirit by going to events, football games, basketball games, cheer days, and helping out with freshman orientation. When asked about the valuable skills she has learned at MacArthur that she uses in her role as a class officer, Mwangala replied: “I would say a lot of people skills because we are interacting with crowds of people at the football games. Mostly, learning how to interact with people, and knowing exactly how to grab their attention. Learning how to move within a certain group of people. And also being able to call things out and make sure that everyone (including yourself) is okay.”
In interviewing an ambitious senior, the question had to be asked: “What are your plans for the future?”
Mwangala is going to University for Business Marketing and plans to use her degree towards a career in Law.
“The classes I have taken here are classes that will fit into my career choice. I want to be a lawyer in the future so taking classes within the law specialty, for example legal studies gave me knowledge and experience that I will be able to carry on to law school and even my actual career. Professional communications is also a class I recommend to every underclassman. It teaches you skills you can carry on to any field or career.”
Mwangala urges readers to “Stay Focused. Because it is hard to get off of focus, and it is hard to get back into focus. Once your assignments and responsibilities start collecting dust, you begin to lose focus on what is meant to get done.” Mwangala uses this advice to stay on top of her various responsibilities, both in and out of school.
On a lighter note, Mwangala was asked to share a fun fact about herself that her peers wouldn’t have known. She shared, “Something that people don’t know about me is that I am quadrilingual. I know French, Swahili, Lingala, and Spanish. Actually, it’s five if you count English.”
