AURORA | When Kristin Nelson speaks, there are still traces of the shy freshman who took her first classes at Overland High School four years ago.
Nelson, 18, talks in a careful and purposeful manner, choosing her words after plenty of pauses to find the right phrases and terms. She mentions accomplishments from the past four years in a passing manner, skimming over the fact that she served as captain of the Overland girls’ soccer team her junior and senior year. She can’t remember the proper names of the academic awards she received — she struggles to list honors like the Faculty Award for Scholarly Accomplishment, the 2012 Outstanding Female Senior Award, the AP Scholar with Distinction Award and her school’s New Media Award.
But the clear marks of a leader lie behind Nelson’s modesty and quiet demeanor. The skills learned as a captain on the soccer field aren’t easy to hide, a fact that Nelson is quick to admit.
“I think in terms of leadership, when I first started off, I was a very shy person. Being a leader on the field, it gave me confidence to be a leader in the school. It translated really well to going to school every day,” Nelson said. “Soccer has always been a big part of my life, but to be able to play for Overland helped me connect to my high school better.”
While soccer has been a constant part of her four years at Overland, Nelson has not made the sport the sole centerpiece of high school. As Nelson prepares to receive her high school diploma this week, she’s just as likely to point to her academic accomplishments as she is to talk about her time on the field. Soccer isn’t the only sport she’s tried at Overland — to find a little variety her senior year, Nelson took up cross-country for the fall semester.
“It was challenging just because I wasn’t used to that much running, but it was a really fun experience, especially senior year,” Nelson said. “I decided to do cross country just as a fun thing.”
The athletics came as she kept up a steady dedication to academics. She’s the valedictorian of Overland’s class of 2012, an honor she attributes largely to the contributions of teachers, as well as the diversity of Overland’s student body. She’s hoping her next school will offer the same kind of familiar and encouraging atmosphere — Nelson’s been accepted at the University of Southern California to study animation and digital arts.
“I really pushed myself to do well from the start … The teachers at Overland and the faculty, they pushed me to challenge myself even further,” she said. “It’s a big school, but there’s a family atmosphere. A lot of people say that Overland’s strongest point is diversity, and they laugh at it. But it is the school’s strong point in every way. Because it’s so diverse, there is a 100 percent guarantee that you will find someone you can relate to.”
Reach reporter Adam Goldstein at agoldstein@aurorasentinel.com or 720-449-9707