Senior Iris Valles walks through the school doors on her last first day of high school. Her emotions of being a senior waiver between self-assurance and uncertainty. Amid the anxiety over a school year full of COVID-induced unknowns, she realizes that the end is getting closer every day, and her decisions are more important now than ever.
“It’s a little scary because you think you have your whole life planned out, but then your mind changes and rearranges everything,” Valles said. “At one point I feel as if I have my whole future planned out, but at another point I have no clue what I even want.”
Iris doesn’t have time to worry much. She is involved in volleyball, basketball, softball, cross country and cheer. She began participating in sports in middle school, and sports soon became a huge part of her identity.
“I am very passionate about sports because it’s a place where I can be myself and let all my anger out,” Valles said. “They also keep me very busy and in shape.”
Valles is also involved in clubs and extracurricular activities. She is a member of the student council, NHS, FCCLA and Spanish Club as well as journalism.
“The majority of the time Iris is always busy,” junior Avery Hardin said. “However, she still manages to make time and spend time with her friends.”
Iris describes herself as a sensitive person, while others describe her as very outrageous, intelligent and encouraging.
“Sometimes, Iris can be loud and aggressive, but she can also be a chill person who listens to your problems,” Hardin said. “I love how we can have fun together and talk about random stuff.”
Iris considers her mother, brother, and best friends Kaline Martinez and Avery Hardin to be her heroes. However, she mostly admires her brother, who also graduated from BHS, for everything he does for her.
“My brother is a very hardworking and dedicated person,” Valles said. “I admire him because he pushes himself every day and provides so much for me.”
From moving up a spot in her high school ranking to graduating high school, Valles has many goals. She plans to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio to study nursing.
“I really haven’t chosen between becoming a NICU nurse or travel nurse,” Valles said. “But whatever I do I know I’d be happy because babies are adorable and traveling around the world to help other people is something I’d be excited and proud of.”
