Zachary Hernandez is a Yorba Linda High School freshman who also happens to be in advanced dance and several honors classes. How he balances these various tasks, as well as, how he goes about completing his many priorities, is an important part of his life. Knowing his limits and how to keep within them help him decide how to go about his more stressful and complicated days.

Zach is in advanced dance, which is one of the highest dance classes offered at Yorba Linda High School, as well as CF Dance. Next year he will audition for Yorba Linda High School’s Dance Company, hoping to keep dance as up for all four years of high school. He has been dancing since 2012 and has enjoyed doing so for the past four years. Zach (9) states, “Over the summer, I was really bored and needed something to occupy my time. I really liked dancing so my mom signed me up for an eight week summer hip-hop session at the community center. The teacher of the classes noticed me and invited me to dance for their crew, so that’s how I began dancing at CF Dance”  Dance has taught him numerous amounts of lessons, such as how to constantly push himself. However, he could not do it without the support of his parents who stay up with him on particularly tough nights and have supported him through everything. Zach, through dance, has realized that, “You can never achieve perfectness, there is always something that needs to be worked on, and that when you love something, it doesn’t feel as difficult or miserable to do. Having a bright attitude and determination can help you reach your happy place, and it is important to find something that you can call a happy and safe place.”

As well as dance, Zachary takes multiple honors classes as well as certain activities outside of school. He is currently in Spanish 2 Honors, as well as Language Arts Honors, Biology Honors, and Geometry Honors. His balance between these classes is helped by, “..figuring out those little breaks where I can. If I have a half and hour break, I’ll try to accomplish something in that time.” Not only must he balance all these classes, but dance can sometimes interfere with his homework or class schedules. To keep all his priorities in track, he must manage his time well and complete his important tasks, like homework, as soon as he leaves school. His grades are a reflection of how these skills he’s learned help him, as well as his participation in class. A fellow student Sarah Frazier (9) states, “Zach is a diligent worker who always participates in class, whether when asking questions or answering them.”

Zach’s freshman year is filled with his honors classes as well as dance. Balancing these has been a challenge, however he has figured out how to do so in an efficient way. He is prepared and excited for the next three years at Yorba Linda High School and keeping with all his classes as well as continuing his passion for dance.