Coming into high school was initially a bit nerve-wracking for freshman Samantha Balourdos, but after joining the girls volleyball team, meeting new people, and being challenged by her teachers, she is continuing her second semester with complete confidence.

At her middle school, Lincoln Hall, Balourdos was one of the star players on the volleyball team, so it came as no surprise when she was chosen as the captain for her freshman A team.

“[Becoming captain] was a great opportunity for me to show my ability and that I can lead a team with my positive actions. Me being the captain made our team finish the season in a very positive way,” Barlourdos said.

Her sister, senior Georgina Balourdos, also attends Niles West. The two girls have what seem to be a incredibly strong relationship with each other. Balourdos believes in her little sister and encourages her to achieve great things.

“We have a very strong relationship, and she comes to me with any kind of problems she has relating to friends, family, school, sports or anything like that,” Balourdos said. “Even though she’s just a freshman and has only gone through one semester of high school, I know that she’s going to grow during her last three years of high school.”

Freshman Pari Shah, one of Barlourdos’s closest friends, says she admires Balourdos’s outgoing personality.

“She’s smart, funny, and has this upbeat personality that puts everyone in a good mood. She’s a friend that I can rely on because she always listens to me when I need help with something,” Shah said.

All in all, Balourdos is currently looking forward to continue to succeed during her second semester of high school.

“My first semester went really well, actually. I thought it would be a lot harder because it was the start of freshman year for me, but it was easier than I thought,” Barlourdos said. “For second semester, I hope to be more involved in school activities like clubs and other sports, so I can really connect with other kids that I do not talk to a lot or have not met before.”