A young girl around the age of 13 walked into Kinnelon High School for the first time, feeling nervous and shy and prepared for the worst. Having little idea what her high school career would look like just yet, she could only hope that she would make the most of it.
This girl goes by Elizabeth Malone, or Beth, for short. Now, she walks into Kinnelon High school with the belief that she will do anything it takes to get into the college of her dreams and achieve what she wishes for, whether that be running for student council, or being a three season athlete.
According to a survey done with the class of ‘22, Malone has always been the nice girl who is there to lend a helping hand, so it is not surprising that she has been deemed a role model by many. Her outgoing personality and ability to connect with just about anyone led her to run for student council in the spring of eighth grade.
“I was always part of the student council for as long as I can remember. I always liked being the person who advocated for my peers,” Malone stated. “When I ran for the president of my class for high school, I honestly didn’t think I’d win,” she admitted.
Nonetheless, Malone managed to win over the majority of her classmates, and has continued to do so since freshman year. The secret? According to Malone, it is “just being kind to anyone and everyone…No one knows what anyone is going through, and those small acts of kindness could make such a difference in someone’s life.”
Her values seem to be successful as her classmate, Natalie Klinger, vouched that Malone “is just always there to help. She always has a positive attitude and is just such a sweet person. She will never deny listening to your problems and always offers to help fix them — Natalie Klinger
On top of her unconditional kindness, Malone knows how to put on a game face. Since freshman year, she has played volleyball in the fall, swim team in the winter, and softball in the summer. Although she doesn’t aspire to play in college, she values the experience of playing sports.
According to Malone, she started playing the sports even before her high school career. She began playing volleyball in 7th grade when her friend convinced her to try it. She stuck with it, and gradually succeeded. As Malone lives in Fayson Lakes, she has been part of their swim team since she was young, which prepared her to play for her high school team. She also has deep roots in softball; she started playing recreational softball when she was elementary school.
Corrine Stack, a long-time softball teammate of Malone’s, claimed that she is “a hard worker,” and that “she always admits when she makes mistakes, but she always corrects them as well. She’s sweet, but she knows how to be competitive on the field.”
However, managing an athletic career as well as an academic one, can is not always easy. “It definitely gets so challenging at times, and sometimes I have to make sacrifices I don’t want to make. It gets exhausting, but the end goal motivates me through it,” said Malone .
So, what’s the “end goal” for Malone? Like most high school students, it is the dream of getting into a good college and setting up their lives to be successful in the future. “I do stress about college sometimes, but I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, you know? I know I’m going to end up right where I should be,” she stated. She also firmly believes that “success comes in so many different ways.” Still, Malone knows her goals. “For me, I want to be able to live a stable life and be happy with my future occupation.”
