For seniors, spring is not only the season of AP tests and trying to find the perfect prom date. It’s during this time that students have to make a huge decision that will impact their adult lives, and that decision is where to go to college. For senior Reece Bryan, this spring is filled with playing tennis for the school team, making ever-lasting senior memories and seeing how hard work really does pay off.

Bryan finished off his first semester of senior year with a 4.6 GPA, but this is only a snippet of his hard work and success over his high school career.

“I’m committed to UC Berkeley and after college,  I either want to be an environmental biologist or environmental engineer, or maybe even go the medical route,” Bryan said. “I plan on studying molecular environmental biology so that way I can either go onto medical school or become an environmental engineer.”

One aspect that has set Bryan apart in the applicant pool has been his dedication and versatility in sports.

“I’ve been playing tennis my entire life, not always competitively but mostly just for fun,” Bryan said. “I actually started playing with my grandma because she would take me out to the tennis courts when I was really little. This year a bunch of my friends were doing the tennis team at school so I  thought it would be fun if I did it too.”

This year, Bryan is on varsity tennis. In addition, he also played golf for the school team for the last two years. Besides golf and tennis, surfing, basketball and soccer are some of Bryan’s hobbies that keep him active physically and mentally, and give him the right mindset to achieve his goals.

“I achieve my goals through dedication and not wasting my time,” Bryan said. “Letting everyone around you know what your goals are helps you achieve them because that way you don’t have to go at it alone. For playing a sport I would definitely say keep practicing, use coaches or any personal help you need and definitely keep up on the grades. Also, every standardized test you can take, even practice ones, all help in the end.”

Between his success in athletics, academics, clubs and surrounding himself with a positive environment to help him stay on track, Bryan is an admirable example of how working hard pays off.

“I think one of my good moments in sports was when I made a hole in one last year to win league,” Bryan said. “I realized playing many sports will help you become a better athlete no matter what sport you play next because it’s all interconnected. The skills you learn in sports will help you become a more well-rounded person in life in general.”