"You can't do it by yourself," said 17-year-old Sophia Rowland, of attaining the No. 1 rank in Poplar Bluff High School's junior class. "You can't make good grades without the help of your classmates and without the help of your teachers. I stay after class all the time and I have no shame in it. I raise my hand 24/7."
Rowland, who is the daughter of Amy and Kenny Rowland, said aside from asking questions, she devotes a lot of time and focus to her school work. She said on a normal week day, she typically spends one to two hours studying, but on a longer day, the number of hours is closer to four.
"My classes this year are a lot more work, and have a lot more homework, so it's time consuming," Rowland said. "I do play sports, so it's kind of hard to balance that, but I think my longest day so far has been four hours."
Rowland plays volleyball and soccer for the Lady Mules. She is the vice president of the Class of 2019, a member of Spanish Club, and a math tutor. She said she previously played basketball, but chose not to continue because of her heavy class load.
Rowland said after high school, her goal is to attend a military academy like her father, who graduated from the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. She said right now the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and West Point both top her list. She said she hopes to pursue a major in systems engineering, an interdisciplinary approach to designing and managing complex systems over a lifetime.
"It's more of a thought process," Rowland said. "So I could go into business with it and run companies through my engineering thought process."
But because she is still a junior, Rowland said she is gearing up for her senior year. Although she is not looking forward to how tough her schedule will be, she said she is looking forward to being a senior athlete.
"I know I'm going to be the only senior in volleyball and I think I'm one of two (seniors) playing soccer next year," she said. "I like leading my team. That's what I will enjoy the most."