By Cassidy Johnson
Meet Arianna Bekas . . . again. Meet her again because this Apopka sophomore has grown both as a student and human being in the few months since her last interview. A changed girl, Arianna is beginning to live life with a new perspective. A member of Art Club, Debate Team, and the Varsity Lacrosse team prepare to be reintroduced to this cat-lover emerging as her own person.
In your previous interview you said you wanted to be an Environmental Protection lawyer, is that still the case?
I think partly, as the year has gone by I’ve kind of stopped wanting to be so angry and you kind of have to be angry and really passionate to be a lawyer because you’re arguing the entire time. And I almost want to do a job that has a little more freedom, rather than a lawyer where you’re constantly tied to one place. So I’m not really sure, I’m still passionate about the environment, so I’ll see wherever that takes me at this point.
What has allowed you to let go of that anger you had before?
I’ve just been so tired honestly. And it’s because I’m so tired I have to make sure that I’m spending my energy on stuff that’s useful. All the anger that I had before was just taking up so much of my energy and now I don’t have enough of it to spare. I’ve just chilled out a lot more.
And what motivates you (with whatever energy you have left)?
Definitely, getting into a good college and not having to deal with student loans. It’s more of a fear thing. If I don’t do well then I’m not gonna get scholarships and then I’ll be paying student loans the rest of my life. Plus, also I want to make my parents proud. That’s a big motivation, for them to feel like “Wow, we did good with this one.”
Why are you so passionate about social and environmental issues?
Because it affects you no matter who you are, in the sense of both social and environmental. And even if you think it doesn’t affect you in some way, shape, or form, it does. It’s something that could really shape our future if we don’t do it right.
What is one thing people come to learn about you as they get closer to you?
That I’m actually not as mean as I look [laughs]. I know I walk around the school and my face usually looks very angry. People always tell me when they first look at me they just think I’m this . . . I think people just think that maybe I’m a little more down-to-earth than I actually am. I think people have this perception that I’m some genius. I’ve had people tell me that, but no . . . I struggle.
What is one thing you have learned about yourself recently?
Maybe, that I don’t have to be so apologetic for everything. Before I always felt like if I did something that didn’t please someone that I had to apologize; even if it was something that I really wanted to do. But now I’m kind of able to separate that feeling of guilt for not doing something that makes other people happy.
You talked about how you are less angry this year, how do you hope to change in the future?
I hope to also just be able to really do what I want to do and not what other people necessarily picture me doing. I just feel like making my own dreams and wants a priority. Instead of being such a people pleaser, worry about me first.