Ellie McBride, Blackfoot’s 2022 Distinguished Young Woman, has learned a lot from her high school experience. As dance captain, one of the soccer captains, a member of Student Council, and National Honors Society secretary, Ellie has been very involved in high school. A lot of people have asked her how she manages so much, and after an interview, she answers this question.

One of McBride’s most useful tools to achievement is her notebook of deadlines. Whenever she hears a due date in a class or needs to get something done, she writes it down. According to her, “You need to prioritize. You need to figure out what is most important right then. Make a list. If you have so much to do and you don’t know where to begin and are stressing out, just write it down! Look at it and see what needs to be done first.” However, it’s not always so easy to be on top of things. Whenever McBride gets frustrated with something or just needs someone to cry to, she goes to her mom and family. Sometimes, McBride receives advice about what to do from them, and sometimes they say “you’re overreacting, get over it”. To McBride, it also helps her to see high school as a stepping stone to bigger things. Whatever you focus on now will help you in the future, which is why she says, “You might as well learn how to do it now. If you drop the ball in high school, it’s not a big deal. You’re going to have a busy life probably someday. It’s practice for real life.”

When asked about how she handled the Distinguished Young Women (DYW) program on top of all of her other activities, she says, “It is one of the best experiences ever. Ever.” She might have had to find a talent, study current events, and practice the fitness routine for months, but it “shapes your mindset”. McBride says she wouldn’t be the person she is today without the program and the people she met, the new skills she learned, and the experiences she had. DYW helped her realize that there is life after high school. “People, things, stereotypes…it doesn’t matter. When you step up to your life and do other things the people around you are going to support you and love you for who you are,” McBride says. Right now, her priority may be school, but she says that her focus is on “having a good positive experience with the people. My priority is to be involved and help other people.”

Ultimately, McBride believes that a positive attitude is key to having a great experience in anything you do. She says, “Everything has positives and negatives, but if you focus on the positive, more positive things will happen.” So when you are feeling a bit overwhelmed with school and the drama that follows, remember Ellie’s advice: prioritize and stay positive. There is life after high school.