Kalamazoo-bound Elliot thrives as student, runner

Elise Elliot is a hard worker and exceptional all-around student at Milford High School. A Kurtz Elementary and Muir Middle School alumna, Elliot is a member of the Milford Cross Country and Track Teams and a National Honor Society member.

She is one of this year’s top 10 for the class of 2022. Elliot has taken eight Advanced Placement courses and has an impressive 4.30 GPA. Although her outstanding grades and extracurriculars may look like a lot to others, academics come naturally to her.

It takes a lot of time management skills and patience. “I use whatever time I have in class to get as much work done before practice and after practice my priority is to finish the work or studying,” she said. “I also consider my workload when scheduling to account for having sports in addition to schoolwork.” Being on top of academics and balancing everything else around school is like a full- time job.

Students with busy schedules can quickly become overwhelmed because they are left with no free time to relax. Elliot’s athletics may add more commitment, but it also helps her cope with stress. “Running and practice is an outlet for me; I get to work out my stress while also having a fun time with my friends without thinking about what is stressing me,” she said. “I also sometimes give myself a hard cut-off time when studying, so that I can calm myself and not get too stressed. I also spend a lot of time outside and with my pets that help ease any stress.”

Although Elliot spends many  hours on her school work, she also puts a lot of time into her running career, which ultimately helps her ease her stress when school becomes overwhelming at times. Sports are a great outlet for students when school and life become overwhelming.

“When times get stressful, I set pretty lofty goals for myself and once I set them, I am very focused on them,” stated Elliot. A great way for students to stay motivated and on top of school work is to remind themselves of what they are working towards. Everything will pay off in the long run, even when times get difficult for one to handle.

As high school is coming to an end, most students reflect on their favorite memories over the last four years. “My favorite memory of all my high school career has been the week of States for Cross Country my sophomore year and competing at Michigan International Speedway in 2019,” she stated.

Running has been a huge part of Elliot’s life and is something she will cherish for the rest of her life.  Elliot will be continuing her athletic and academic career at Kalamazoo College this fall. She plans on studying neuroscience on a pre-med track. Her hard work in and out of the classroom does not go unnoticed.

Elliot has accomplished so much here at Milford over these past four years.