With all the hustle and bustle of life at Lawrence High School, it can be hard to meet new people. Sophomore, Sadie McEniry is one worth getting to know. McEniry manages to balance her time between writing a novel, friends, family, and homework.

What activities are you involved in at LHS?
I signed up for a bunch of a clubs, but I haven’t been able to attend any meetings since I started the play. Clubs require time, and I have a pretty big homework load.

What made you decide to write a book?
My parents are extremely artsy. I write my own songs, and one day I decided to expand a theme that I explore in my songs and put it in a book.

What is your novel about?
It’s more of a short story, but I am trying to add more. It follows a teenage girl whose mother left when she was very young. In an attempt to reconnect with who her mother was, she gets into gardening. Then one day, her mother sends her a letter and starts talking to her a lot. The rest is a secret.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be an English teacher in Japan or a music therapist with kids and teens here in the States. I want to do anything where I get to interact with younger people on a daily basis.

Where do you hope to go to college?
I haven’t really thought about which college I want to go to. KU is a contender. I guess we’ll see!

What is your favorite restaurant?
Homemade. My grandmother and mother are fantastic cooks.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I want to go back to the Philippines. It was really neat to talk to my Filipino relatives and see what a third-world country is like.

When did you learn there was no Santa Claus?
I don’t really remember. I don’t think I ever REALLY believed a bearded man was breaking into my house, eating cookies, and leaving presents.

What is your proudest accomplishment?
Waking up every morning and going to sleep every night. It takes a lot of motivation to do the little things – homework and such – because they don’t stay little things for long.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, with whom would it be and why?
I don’t know if I would want to trade places! I’m pretty happy with my life. I guess I would switch with someone who has lived a life totally opposite mine – someone who is everything I am not.

What is your favorite television show?
I don’t have cable, so I’m not up to date with television, but I like to watch Community when I can. I think it has an awesome cast.