Today’s Bridgeport High School Senior Face is a BHS tennis player, lover of travel and aspiring bioengineer Maggie Walker. Meet her here:

 

It’s a pleasure to have you as today’s Senior Face, Maggie. Tell me about your involvement at BHS and the community over the past four years …

I have been on the varsity tennis team all four years of high school. This year I was a captain of the team. Though our season was cut short, I’m still so grateful to have been a part of that team. 

 

I also was the President of the French Honorary this year, which was a great leadership experience. I was inducted into the Honorary my sophomore year, and it was my favorite “club.” I was also a general member of French Club and Student Council all four years of high school. This year I was a member of the National Honor Society. This year I participated in Shop for Tots, and I loved the experience.

 

I have also been a part of the Bridgeport United Methodist Youth Group since sixth grade. Through this group I have been given the opportunity to serve our community through various mission projects. I went on two mission trips through the church, which are some of my favorite memories thus far. The youth group has introduced me to so many new people, and helped me grow closer to old friends, and I feel very fortunate to grow my faith with them.

What are your best memories of BHS?

My favorite high school memories are football games and Homecoming week. Friday night lights at BHS are truly an experience.  The tailgates spent before games and getting ready for games with my friends will always be memories I cherish. This year I went to the State Championship and got to cheer on the Indians to a state title. Watching the final minutes of that game and screaming for the Indians is definitely one of my favorite high school memories.

 

Every year, the weeks leading up to homecoming are spent painting signs in the hallways and decorating the floats in someone's garage. I can remember many late nights eating pizza and trying to decide how to make our float the best. This year, my class voted me on Homecoming Court, and it was one of the best experiences. I loved spending time with the other girls and getting ready for all the different events. I think the assembly was my favorite because the energy in the gym is amazing.

 

What are your post-graduation plans?

I will be attending the University of Pittsburgh to study Bioengineering with a minor in French.

 

What is your life’s dream? Where do you see yourself in a decade or so?

In 10 to 15 years I hope to be working for either Shriners Hospital or a Children’s Hospital. I want to work with special needs kids to design assistive devices. I hope to live in either Pennsylvania or Tennessee after college. Before settling in, I would love to see more of Europe and travel for a few years. Eventually, I want to settle down and have a family.

 

What friends, faculty members have made lasting impact on you?

My best friends have always pushed me to be the best possible and have always supported me through harder days. Mrs. Lohmann, Mrs. Ramsey, Mrs. Price, and Madame Garrett have impacted my life the most throughout high school.  I have learned just as much about life as I have about school from each of these women. They are always there to offer advice and support, and sometimes just a really good hug. They have all pushed me academically (and musically) and shaped me into the person I am today. This year, Mr. Howard, Mrs. Evans, and Mr. Edwards all made my senior year great. Mrs. Evans is a great Calculus teacher, she made it fun and easier to understand. She cares about all of us and shows it. Mr. Edwards taught me a lot about our world this year, and I feel prepared to be a good citizen because of his class. Mr. Howard is one of the funniest and smartest teachers I had. He would answer every single one of our physics questions-even when we got off topic.

 

Do you have a job?

I work at Twin Oaks restaurant running the register. I’ve worked 

there since my sophomore year and I love it. My coworkers are some of the funniest people I know and I love the atmosphere. I also am a tennis coach through USTA. I coach an after-school program at Simpson Elementary School and also run camps and clinics in the summer. Growing up I was a player at these camps, so it’s really cool to coach them now. My players are amazing and hard-working kids. I didn’t get the opportunity to teach this spring because of my own tennis season, and I miss my kids.

 

Tell me about your favorite things …

I love to travel! This summer I got to go on a Europe trip with the French Department at BHS and it was amazing. We went to Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Oslo. It was really cool to be immersed in another culture. My favorite stop was Paris for sure though. In January, I was fortunate enough to go back to France, but to Toulouse instead. I went with my family and got to show off my French skills to them. Being the only one in the group to speak French definitely tested my knowledge. I have also been to 27 of the 50 states, and it is my goal to visit all 50.

 

What social media platforms do you use?

I use instagram, snapchat, twitter, and tik tok. 

 

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your senior year?

Through all of this, I have learned to cherish every moment. Because of COVID-19, I lost out on the rest of senior year, my final tennis season, and prom. At first, I was devastated, especially to be losing my tennis season. It all happened so fast- I felt like I never got a proper goodbye to BHS and all my peers. I’ve realized how much everyone at BHS impacts my day to day life, and it's the small things that I miss the most. Things like walking down the hallway with my best friend every morning, sitting at lunch with girls I’ve known for years, things like that. But in this time, I’ve spent more time with my 

family than I would have before, and it's time that I cherish since I’m moving out soon. I think that for the rest of my life I will cherish every moment just a little bit more.

 

Tell me about your family …

My family consists of my mom, my dad, my older sister Hannah, and our two dogs Karmann and Dela. Karmann is a German Shepherd and Dela is a French Bulldog. My family is what inspires me most. My sister is the funniest of the family for sure, and she never fails to remind me that I’m the baby of the family. My dad is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, and he inspires my big dreams. My mom is my best friend. We're very close and living without her will be a big change next year. Her dad went to Pitt in the ‘60s and passed away before I was born, and that is what made me look into Pitt in the first place. Being on campus makes me feel closer to him and my mom. I have extended family all over-cousins in Texas and Kansas, uncles and aunts in Kansas, Colorado, and Arizona, and grandparents in Arizona.