High school is a time where students are given the liberty to discover and express themselves. Many freshmen such as Joslin Zakharia agreed that finding a hobby is difficult. Luckily, after years of searching for something Zakharaia enjoys doing, she has found volleyball as something she loves and wishes to continue playing in the future.

“Volleyball is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve played it since the sixth grade,” Zakharaia said.

About four years have gone by since Zakharia started playing the sport, so what about volleyball is so intriguing to her?

“I think I’m still continuing volleyball because I’ve always loved it, and it’s a fun hobby for me to do,” Zakharia said. This year she’s on the freshman volleyball team, and aims to be on varsity next year. 

“Volleyball is a hobby I would like to stick with through high school and even college hopefully,” Zakharia said.

Her teammates like freshman Mia Kalcina enjoy Zakharia’s presence on the court. “I’ve really enjoyed playing with Joslin over the season, and we’ve gotten a lot closer. She is a really good player on the court and is fun to be around. Her skills have improved tremendously over the course of the season. Furthermore, she has improved on her hits, and her overall work on the net has gotten a lot better. She has also gotten better at her rotations,” Kalcina said.

When she’s not playing volleyball, Zakharia busies herself with loads of other hobbies. “I like to bake, go out with friends, draw, and do just about anything. As for what I enjoy doing with my friends, biking and just taking a walk is always fun to do with them,” Zakharia said.

Speaking of friends, Sabrina Islamaj is one of her closest.

“I would describe Joslin as the kind of friend where even if you don’t talk all the time she’s always there for you. You know that you can talk to her because she listens. I also like that with Joslin you don’t have to hang out at these crazy cool places to have fun. Usually we just bike around and talk and it’s just as fun,” Islamaj said.

Aside from hanging out with friends, Zakharia likes to spend time alone and binge TV shows. Her favorites are “Criminal Minds,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Day Break,” and “Big Time Rush.” She’s also a fan of movies and is currently watching “Two Weeks Notice” and “Spencer Confidential.” 

Zakharia is a pro at baking chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake, brownies, and more. Although she clearly loves to bake, she “bake[s] as a hobby, and I would never see myself become a professional baker. I think this is because baking relieves my stress and if I did it for a job, then I would feel more anxious than relaxed,” Zakharia said.

Perhaps we can all take a page from Zakharia’s book and learn to play volleyball to be active and then relax with some homemade cookies and a movie!