By Maren Stroup

Style Editor

Freshman Ella Claire Sadauskus is a passionate movie-watcher, cheerleader and first-year photographer for The Sentry. Sadauskas, along with most students at our school, has had to adjust to the building and the environment of in-person school. 

“I really like how new the building is. I came from Swanson and the buildings are really old, so it’s really nice to have a big school. But it’s also really huge and easy to get lost in,” Sadauskas said.

Despite a new school environment, Sadauskas is not afraid to jump into unfamiliar experiences. With no prior knowledge, she impulsively joined the cheerleading team here at school. She has made a handful of friends on the team. On game day, you can find her walking through the hallways in her cheerleading uniform. 

“I’ve done it for three weeks …. I don’t know, I just thought it would be something cool to try. It is pretty fun; it is just a lot of practice,” Sadauskas said. 

Although cheerleading takes up most of her time, Sadauskus has many other hobbies. From listening to music to painting watercolor paintings, she keeps herself busy. 

“I like to do art. I like to paint watercolor paintings. I took art in middle school, but I’d rather do something I like rather than what a teacher tells me to do,” Sadauskus said.

Sadauskus is set in her ways. She likes repetition when it comes to movies, but not when it comes to music. 

“I don’t like just one artist or band, I like a variety, not just one song or album. It just depends on what mood I am in,” Sadauskus said. 

A traveler at heart, Sadauskus has been to a handful of different countries and wants to explore more in her future. 

“I love to travel and see many different things. I have been to six different countries….I’ve been to Canada, Mexico, Iceland, England and South Africa,“ Sadauskus said. 

Her preferred method of transportation is a plane—she finds them much more efficient and faster than trains. When asked her favorite place she’s ever been, Sadauskus answered with no hesitation. 

“My favorite was Iceland when I saw the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). I went a couple years ago with my family. We went in the winter so it was super cold and snowy,” Sadauskus said. 

After travelling, Sadauskus gets to return to her household full of pets. She has two dogs, Attickus and Benji, a hamster, a bearded dragon and a crested gecko. She blissfully remembered the day she got her dogs.

“I was three when I got my dogs, I don’t remember getting them but I remember the feeling of getting them. I remember the car ride, I was very excited,” Sadauskus said. 

There is no doubt that The Sentry will take big strides forward this year with Sadauskus’s help. Her photography skills and love of this class reinforce how lucky we are to have her.

By Ella Claire Sadauskus

Photographer

Senior Maren Stroup has a love for travel and adventure. She enjoys gymnastics, hanging out with her siblings and listening to Taylor Swift. 

Even though she has many loves at home, like music, if Stroup were to choose between staying in one place for the rest of her life or traveling everywhere, she would choose to travel. 

“I think it would be difficult to not really have roots anywhere, but I think you can find people you love anywhere and learn. I definitely want to travel around,” Stroup said. 

She is taking a gap year next year in which she wants to travel to many places. 

“I’m going to Fiji, and I want to go to Bali and Vietnam. What I’m probably most excited for, or the place I want to travel to, is Madagascar,” Stroup said. 

During these travels, Stroup plans on traveling to learn how to surf. 

“I’m also going to South Africa. I’m going to teach surfing there….At the end of my gap year is Hawaii, so I’m hoping to just surf there,” Stroup said. 

Although she is ecstatic to see all these new places, she also will miss spending time with her siblings.

“My family is something that I cherish and I think it’s sad that everyone is growing up and leaving, but at the same time whenever we come back all together it’s just a really good time and everybody is really supportive,” Stroup said. 

Stroup’s favorite place in the entire world is Bethany Beach because of all her memories with family there.

“I’ve gone there since I was literally a baby and so did my mom and it’s just made for our family,” Stroup said. 

Outside of school, Stroup participates in competitive gymnastics and plays tennis. She also enjoys reading and hanging out with her siblings. 

“I’ve done gymnastics since I was five and I’ve been on a competitive team since I was in sixth grade, so that’s really taking control over my free time. I also do tennis which I’ve also done my whole life,” Stroup said. 

Her biggest fear is losing sight of her priorities. She thinks it is easy to get lost and hard to find your way back to your goals. 

“I think my biggest fear is probably losing sight of my priorities. I think it’s easy to get caught up in certain things, but I definitely know right now the people that I love and the people I want to have in my life, so I’m holding onto that,” Stroup said. 

Stroup would like to change the mindsets of many people in this community for the better. She thinks that people should stay more positive. 

“I’d love to see a little bit more open mindedness in our community, but that’s kind of impossible to ask for,” Stroup said. 

As well as her open mindedness, music is a large part of her life. 

“I listen to a bunch of different things, but my favorite artist is Taylor Swift. I listen to all of her albums and I know the words to like every song. I also like to listen to a lot of Halsey and some country,” Stroup said.

Stroup’s love for adventure and passion for music, travel and gymnastics shows how truly amazing she is. The Sentry is lucky to have her.