Where do I start with Erin Earl, Class of 2020 Senior from Notre Dame High School?

All I can say is this… the world is a better place because of young women like her in the world!  She is a confident, natural born leader and the future is so bright!  I loved going to Notre Dame High School and seeing the community of other students saying hello and telling her how amazing she looked.  Notre Dame High School is truly one big family that encourages one another.  This was evident from the beginning!

Our 3-hr session seemed like it was over in a blink of an eye and we loved every second of our time to capture this beauty!

Erin enjoys public speaking and as soon as she gets to know people, “I can really talk your ear off.  I tend to get loud around people when I’m comfortable and don’t even realize it! I also think I’m pretty nice and outgoing most of the time.”  After high school, Erin plans on attending college to major in Political Science. When she was a little girl, she wanted to be a Vet. This year, she is most looking forward to participating in as many events as she can. “I want to enjoy my senior year and so that’s why I look forward to attending sports events and school events because I get to do them with my classmates and friends”

“My favorite teacher was Mr. Randy Simmons. He was also my principal when I came to PND. Mr. Simmons was the teacher of my lealdership development class in the winter trimester. He was so amazing. He was the type of man that made everyone feel instantly comfortable at all times. Mr. Simmons was really the man who gave a second chance at high school. I didn’t even realize that he did that for me in the moment but looking back he definitley did. When I signed up to take leadership development I knew that it was going to be a blow off class because of how chill Mr. Simmons was. Little did I know that, that class was going to impact my life going forward. I have always been one who has wanted to be a leader. Mr. Simmons was os wise and taught us so much about leadership. He read more leadership books than I even knew existed. Mr. Simmons if you ever met him was one of the funniest and most quick thinkers you’d ever meet. He’d insult you and you’d not even know it because it was so funny and he’s even catch himself off guard sometimes with his jokes. Mr. Simmons and I started to become closer toward the end of the winter trimester as we realized your passionate beliefs in the pro-life movement. He even in class showed me a tattoo on his arm that read “St. Joseph, Patron Saint of the Unborn”. That’s when I knew that we could really see eye to eye. Not long after that time Mr. Simmons left this beautiful earth. I had him for class the exact same day and I will never forget that class or any class that I had with that man. I learned so much from him. Mr. Simmons will never know how much he truly impacted my own life through little gestures like admitting me to PND or talking to be about our beliefs. I wish I would have said thank you to that special man. He will never know how much he made me into a better leader, person, catholic, student, or daughter. He will never know that he was my favorite teacher but he most definitely deserves that spot in my heart for all that he did for me and the Peoria- area.”

“My favorite school event to attend is the Miami Mission trip. The mission trip is one that you grow super close to all the kids we work with and even each other which is very beautiful. You go on this trip and there are PND students from all grades so really you have to get to know some people you may not known before. The other reason I love this event is because each time I go I discover a little bit more about myself and about my faith. I always come out of that mission trip as a better person. The memories we makes are really unforgettable there and that is why it is my favorite.”

What advice would you give to incoming freshman? “Be themselves and not care about what anyone has to say about them. I found that I made the best friends and memories when I was myself and not worrying if my outfit was cute enough to wear so that I would impress a certain group of girls. You will find that being yourself will make you so much happier and it’s something you’ll never regret.”

I would describe my perfect day like this: “I would head up to chicago with all of my girl friends. We would do a little bit of shopping and then go to a Cubs game. This game would of course end with a big Cub W. After the game, we would have dinner and head home. The day would be full of laughs and memories.”

What’s the best thing about your parents?  I never give my parents the credit that they really deserve. They are the people that I love most.  In some moments, I get annoyed, but it shows that they really care about me. They know what’s best for me and have helped me prepare for a bright future. I am just like my dad. We have the same personality and as I get older, I know I will appreciate that more and more.  My mom and I may look alike, but we are very different. The kid of different that makes us get along most of the time. I love more than anything, the talks I have with my mom whenever we are in the car.  After I graduate, those conversations will be more limited so I just want to soak in as much out of each conversation as I can!

FAMILY:

1. My favorite family trip was when we took a road trip out west to Colorado. We camped the whole way out there and we created so many funny memories on the trip. We visited many old forts and other great places. While on this trip we were there for my aunts wedding and then we also go to see my dad’s side of the family in Colorado which was so great because we do not get to see them often.
2. My favorite childhood memory would be racing my little brother around our backyard. Your backyard growing up in Oregon, Il was about an acre. Since my mom was HS and JR. High cross country and track coach she of course made us run as well. We would race all the time and of course I would win all the time. That was something that probably happened everyday and we just loved doing it.
3. My favorite family recipe is our sugar cookie recipe.  This recipe has been in the family forever and the cookies just melt in your mouth!
4. My favorite holiday tradition is when all of the women on the Elliff side of my family get together to make Christmas cookies. This is an all day affair but it is so much fun because we have so many different family recipes. however the biggest hit is my Great-grandma’s famous sugar cookies. I have never had a cookie that is even as best tasting as this one. It is so good and we make so many of them because other family members look forward to eating them just as much as we do.

RANDOM:

1. I am 6% native american and belong to the Choctaw tribe/nation
2. My friends will sometimes call me Choctaw or E
3. My favorite sport to watch is baseball. My favorite sport to compete in is track and field
4. Three things on my bucket list: 1. Visit every major league baseball stadium 2. See the Great Wall of China 3. Travel to Hawaii
5. If I could travel anywhere in the world, I would want to go to Italy because it is really the place that is the core of my Catholic faith. There are so many sights that I have learned about my whole life that I would love to see and visit. As well as my faith playing a part in that trip Italy is also very beautiful and I’d love to see it.
6. Spanish is my favorite class because I really feel accomplished in that class. I never walk out feeling like I learned nothing. The really awesome thing about Spanish is that I can take what I have learned and go out right now and actually talk with people. That is what I love most about it.
7. In school, I participate in Teens for Life, Lumen Christi, Beau Grant Foundation Club, St. Jude Club and Track. Outside of school I am on a Club Track Team called One Motion. I work at RC Outfitter as a shoe fitter, and I do lots of volunteer work within the Pro Life Movement.
8. I really enjoy running and lettering.

The most daring thing I have ever done is traveled to Uganda. It took 32 hours of traveling.

My hero is Sister Sara. From the moment that I stepped foot into PND,  Sr. Sara was there for me. She made me feel welcome instantly at school. We started to talk and meet regularly and I ended up really opening myself up to her. Sister really became a mentor to me. She  helped me discover who I was when I was dealing with so many wounds from things that happened in the past. I never feel judged by Sr. Sara at all and she is always willing to talk if I am feeling like I need it. That I what I love about her so much. That is what is so special is that because of my transfer we became and it is crazy to think about her not being in my life at all. I could never thank her enough for everything she has done for me and my family in the short time I have known her. That is why she is my hero.

Tell me about a moment you are most proud of? Honestly a moment I was most proud of myself was this past spring during track season. I spent the whole season trying to get back into the sport. I was a little our of commission because of my transfer which prohibited me from competing my sophomore year. Then the summer before junior year I injured myself badly which took be our of my club track season. It was hard to find the love of the sport and except the fact that I was significantly slower. It was a long season but I got my times back down and that was something I was proud of myself for doing. It took countless hours of hard work and tears to get over the fact I was not as good as I was. Then I felt like I was back on top of it and fell in love with the sport all over again.