Volunteer extraordinaire, marching band musician, orchestra member, IB student, mathlete, occasional actress, and all-around leader—these are only a few of the many hats sophomore Amanda Carroll wears often, and wears with pride. A self-described nerd, Amanda Carroll is clearly one of the best role models Seminole has to offer, participating in a wide-ranging variety of interests, service projects, and clubs.
Carroll has long been a dedicated band student. Now a member of the Pride of the Tribe’s communications staff, she plays an integral role in publicizing the band’s activity. One of Seminole’s two band directors, Mr. P.L. Malcolm, described Carroll as a young lady who is an amazing leader. “Whatever I ask her to do, she takes it seriously and gives it her all.” Since elementary school, Carroll has worked hard as a flute player, and it has paid off—she is now the principal flautist in Seminole’s top band, and competes regularly in Solo and Ensemble competitions and has been a member of the All-County band. Carroll has been exploring new musical outlets as well, and plays in the school orchestra, adding violin and cello to her repertoire.
Carroll is a tireless volunteer, to boot, and has long participated in charity work, sometimes even organizing her own campaigns and efforts. Since childhood, service has been central to her life. “My parents just always taught me that service work was important. I grew up doing it,” she detailed, “When you find a service you really believe in, it’s one of the most rewarding things imaginable. I consider myself fortunate, and just help people in response.” This year, Carroll has brought together two of her passions, organizing a band food drive in conjunction with a group called Bags of Hope, which aims to alleviate some of the worst symptoms of homelessness and hunger in the community. From baking brownies for firefighters on the anniversary of 9/11, to the time she donates at organizations like Freedom Ride, Carroll is certainly a dedicated individual.
Yet, late last school year, her life hit a snag, and many of her activities had to be put on hold, as she was diagnosed with narcolepsy, and has worked to cope with the effects of it and other associated sicknesses. “Before I was diagnosed, I slept a lot,” she related. But narcolepsy entails much more than just sleeping: the sickness often comes along with cataplexy, a condition that entails seizures and dramatic losses of muscle control. “It’s hard to cope with,” she related. “There are not a lot of people who’ve experienced what I’ve gone through.”
With her illness, though, she’s had to take time off from many of her passions. “I was in marching band last year, but due to the craziness and the uncertainty, I wasn’t able to march this year.” Similarly, her volunteer work at Freedom Ride, an organization that helps mentally and physically disabled children engage in therapeutic horseback riding, has been on hiatus since her sickness.
On her volunteer work at Freedom Ride, she told, “It’s great being able to see kids ride and do things they didn’t expect to do. Seeing them smile is really rewarding. We have kids who are autistic and unable to talk, then they go horseback riding, and suddenly, they’re talking.” Discussing the effects of this change, she said, “I definitely plan on returning to marching. It [not being able to march] made me realize how special the band family is. Mr. Malcolm and Ms. [Andrea] Newhouse [the band directors] have been super-supportive.” Malcolm added that “she’s still a band kid, whether she’s able to march or not.”
With the help of support from her parents, teachers, and friends, Carroll has learned to deal with her illness. “You learn to prioritize, and time management is really important. If something doesn’t go well, you can’t give up hope. There are a lot of medicines I went on before I found something that worked.” It’s gotten easier for her to cope now. “I’ve gotten used to stuff. The big thing is the gluten and lactose [she was recently diagnosed with an intolerance of both, something common among those with autoimmune disorders like narcolepsy]. Once that was figured out, everything else started working out.” Though, she said, “It doesn’t define me, but it’s a part of who I am,” she stated, with the stature and confidence of someone very sure of who she is.
Carroll has been involved in a great many other school activities, too. In the Beta Chi Talent Show last winter, she organized a production of a Harry Potter parody, and played the part of Harry to great acclaim. Sophomore Kristine Purdy helped form the group of Potter-fans, and said that Carroll “is an amazing leader, keeping everyone focused during rehearsal.” Yet her respect for Carroll runs deeper than that, as does the respect of many other of her classmates. “Amanda is amazingly well-focused. I don’t know how she does so many clubs—Model UN, Beta Chi, band, orchestra, Mu Alpha Theta—and yet remains so stress-free most of the time.”
Malcolm explained a basic tenet of Seminole’s band program: “We in band subscribe to a three-word chant, ‘Motivation, Dedication, Discipline,’ which she epitomizes. Not only is she committed, among all other things, but if we added a new word because of Amanda, it would be ‘perseverance.’ She is relentless. She is a very inspiring young lady, and she probably teaches me just as much as I teach her.”