Recent Iowa All-State choir qualifier, junior Molly Higgins, is the first individual chosen as the Echoes Online Lynx of the Week. Molly is a hardworking and highly involved individual that demonstrates admirable qualities at Abraham Lincoln High School.

Higgins has participated in the All-State audition process every year since she was a freshman; this year is the first she has been accepted into the highly-selective choir.

Higgins explains her adjustments in preparing for All-State auditions this year versus her previous attempts in making the choir.

“The most important thing is getting memorized early,” Higgins said. “I think I was very prepared last year, but my mistake was that I practiced too much within the last week before the audition, and I completely wore out my voice.”

Along with choir, Higgins is also a part of activities including speech, jazz choir, tennis, Student Council, Key Club, National Honors Society, and Iowa Youth Congress.

The junior shares her tips and tricks in keeping up with school while being heavily involved with extracurricular activities.

“Every day, I write down what assignments I got, and then as I go through, I cross them out,” said Higgins. “It’s just a really simple way to remind me what’s due.”

As essential as it is to keep up with her activities and academics, Higgins also stresses the importance of not getting hung up on the little things.

“With the sheer amount of things I’m in, there’s no way I can be 100-percent in everything all the time,” said Higgins. “Sometimes you just gotta let things go.”

In order to be successful, Higgins holds a mindset favoring the things she cares about above others’ opinions.

“One of my biggest philosophies in life is that you need to care about something more than what you care about what others think of you,” Higgins said.

Higgins carries this idea with her when organizing events she is passionate about. On Sept. 20, Higgins coordinated a local climate strike in solidarity with the millions of others who protested across the world on the same day. 

“I organized the climate change walkout at AL,” Higgins said. “I cared about the cause, and getting our student voices heard more than I cared about what other people thought of me.”

Higgins provides a final word of advice.

“Whatever your passion is in life, you have to put everything you have toward it and don’t worry about others’ opinions of you.”