Central IL high school senior photographer

 

Meet the love-able and absolutely lovely, Class of 2022 senior, Wendy Paddock from Dee-Mack High School.  She has the most beautiful smile and the cutest laugh!!  After graduation, she plans on attending University of Michigan to major in Criminal Psychology.  Her favorite teacher throughout the years was her third grade teacher, Courtney Schmidgall.   “She was super funny and made the class very fun.. I always left her class with a stomachache from laughing so hard.  My favorite class was Biology 2 during my Sophomore year. We had a whole unit about crime scenes and we even did a mock crime scene involving teachers in the school. It was a great experience and got me hooked on criminology.”

“Some of my best memories from high school are the football games. I always loved the environment, the dress up themes, and cheering and cowbells. Everyone is always so excited to be there and it is always a good time being with my friends.”

In school, Wendy plays volleyball and participates in track. Outside of school, she is part of community theater.  She had a role in the Peoria Area Performing Arts Studio production of High School Musical, as well as Les Miserables.  “Theatre is a big part of who I am and I love every second of it!”  She also helps to coach Dee-Mack’s 5th grade volleyball tam and you can find her as a barista at Eli’s Coffee Shop in Tremont.  Wendy enjoys reading, hanging out with her best friends, and drinking iced coffees.

“My perfect day would be waking up in a tropical area before sunrise, grabbing my favorite book, and heading out to the beach. I would spend all morning there, taking pictures, reading, swimming, etc. Then, I would hop on a bike and ride to the nearest coffee shop, where I would meet my best friends for coffee! Then, we would all go shopping, tanning, and just relaxing the whole rest of the day, ending with a bonfire on the beach at night. Then, I would wake up the next day and repeat!”

“My hero is my director of the show Les Miserables that I was in in 2020, Bryan Blanks. After a tough experience with some people in the old theatre group I was in, I never thought I would get to perform again. However, Bryan and the rest of the Peoria Area Performing Arts group offered me the once in a lifetime opportunity to perform onstage with them last year, and my life has not been the same since! I met my best friends, had the most fun I’ve ever had, and got to continue performing and doing what I love, with constant support from Bryan and the rest of the production crew! I am so thankful for my PAPAS Family!”

“I have a bassett hound named Lizzie! She moved in with us about three or four years ago, after my Grandpa passed and my grandma wasn’t able to take care of her as easily. She has been the best addition to the Paddock Household, and I forgot what life was like before she was around!”

“A moment I am proud of would my sophomore year girls powderpuff game, when I got the game winning interception against the seniors, and won the whole thing for my grade’s team! Everyone was jumping and screaming and attacking me because we won the whole “tournament” and beat the seniors, and I got to be the big reason we won! There is even a legendary picture of everyone in mid air cheering after I caught the ball!”

“When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a Barbie Princess!”

“My favorite colors are light pink, lavender, and baby blue.”

Three things on my bucket list include: See the Northern Lights, Ride in a hot a air balloon and Go Cliff Diving.

“The best thing about my mom and dad are that they are always there for me no matter what. I never have to worry about feeling alone or stuck because I know I can always go to them or trust them with anything and everything. I can’t wait to be the same way with my future kids/family, and I just know they will be the best grandparents one day! I love them to the moon and back and wouldn’t trade them for the world.”

“My favorite family trip was to Florida in 2019. We all went down to Fort Myers for Christmas, and got to spend Christmas Eve and Day on the beach! It was so relaxing and I wish I could spend every second by the ocean! My favorite childhood memory would be when my family would drive up to Michigan and spend Thanksgiving with my moms side of the family. I love being in Michigan, and being up there with family for the holidays is a different kind of happiness! Specifically, I remember playing ping pong with my cousins up there, and laughing for hours because everyone was so mischievous.”

Fun Random This and That

1. My favorite band is Panic! At the Disco, and my favorite singer would be Olivia Rodrigo!
2. I performed on a cruise ship on a trip to Mexico in 2019
3. I don’t peel my cheese sticks, I bite them!
4. My favorite restaurant is Chic-fil-a, and I like to order the chicken nuggets with waffle fries!
5. My favorite drink is definitely a iced caramel latte!
7. I tend to be quiet and shy when you first meet me, but once I feel comfortable I am very outgoing and love to make others laugh!
8. My sister makes THE BEST chocolate chip cookies! They are super soft and gooey, and they taste better every time she makes them!
9. I taught myself how to do an ariel, my first try!
10. My family calls me wen, but I have lots of different nicknames with my friends including wenL, wen-wen, windy, etc.

“My favorite holiday is Christmas. We always go to my grandmas on Christmas day, and it is always my favorite part of the year. Everyone is always so happy and energetic, and everyone just loves being around each other. We also have a huge dinner, listening to Christmas music and afterwards playing games together as a family!  Halloween is a close 2nd for favorite holiday.”