Emily Gober is tall and lithe with an athletic frame. A bright light of confidence shines through her as it often does in the rare teen who has complete clarity at an early age. As she prepares to graduate high school, a glance in the rearview mirror shows a string of both athletic and academic achievements.
One of the secret ingredients of Emily’s well-rounded high school years is the friendships she cultivated along the way. “The most rewarding part of high school,” she says, “has been all the amazing friends I have made over the years, both in and out of sports.” She has been playing lacrosse with the same group of girls since elementary school becoming captain of the team in high school, and she has also been on the weightlifting team since her freshman year. Academically, she has been successful in the challenging, accelerated AICE program, where math is her favorite subject (tackling Calculus this year).
A star athlete, Emily won first place for St. Johns County at the weightlifting conference meet last December. This past April, she was presented the prestigious David Mathis Pursuing Victory Award, which is awarded to one outstanding varsity athlete from every school in St. Johns County who exhibits the six pillars of character.
Emily’s parents have been a key ingredient in her success. “Both of my parents have always supported me in every sport I have ever played,” she says. “No matter what, they were always at my games or meets which meant a lot to me. I could not have done it without them.”
It’s no surprise that Emily has already hatched some grand plans going forward. She knows for sure she wants sports to be a primary focus in her life, so she plans on pursuing sports-related physical therapy. Her five-year plan is finishing physical therapy school and getting her DPT. And then her ten-year plan is getting her doctorate in physical therapy and working with athletes. Looking at Emily’s achievements in high-school, these goals are clearly all well within her reach.
As Emily prepares for her next phase of life, she says, “I am super excited to move on to college and have new experiences. However, as my senior year comes to an end, I am realizing more and more how much I will miss high school and St. Augustine.”
Emily’s secret to success is simple. “Be happy. This may seem simple, but it is so important to be happy with your life and what you are doing,” she says. “I always try to remind myself to see the positive side of things.”
And for those of you about to begin your high-school journey, Emily’s words of advice are, “Be yourself. In high school, you will meet so many new people, but don’t try to change who you are just to fit in.”
Photography by David Steele
