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Willis' Amy Garcia
MY FAMILY: Wildkat Band greatly influenced Garcia's path to success
For Willis super-student Amy Garcia, it was the Willis Wildkat band.
“I moved from Pasadena, Texas before my freshman year,” she said. “It was a tough move because I was not going to be able to experience high school with my childhood friends.
“I was kind of lost and didn’t want to join the band here, but the directors really influenced my decision. It’s a story that can shared with others. I found a family in the band and it really helped me find my place at Willis. They were so kind to me, and it was really easy to make friends.”
Since then, Garcia has flourished and now finds herself as a Drum Major entering her senior year.
The 2024 Willis Wildkat Band Drum MajorsBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“I just love playing music with my friends,” she said. “I started in the fifth grade when my elementary music teacher put a flute in my hands and look at me now. I’ve learned to play the alto sax, bari sax and piccolo, but more importantly, I learned to work and lead people. It’s a great life skill.”
While she is locked in to perfecting the Wildkat band performances throughout the fall, Garcia winds down by hanging with her family and listening to music.
“I love to listen to hard rock,” she laughed. “I know that may seem weird, but I really want to learn to play the drums. I love to spend time with my friends and family... they are my happy place. They just soothe me.”
Garcia excels in the arts, but she also dominates in the classroom, where she is in the Top 10 percent of her class.
“I won’t be pursuing music as a career, but I believe it has helped me so much as a student,” she said. “I’m wanting to pursue aerospace engineering at Texas A&M or an Ivy League school.”
That’s a long way from being a scared freshman, entering the halls of Willis High School just three short years ago.
Willis' Tori Greeney
THE TEAM-PLAYER: Chemistry is key for Willis' Greeney
“I’ve played multiple sports throughout my life before I got into volleyball,” she said. “I played soccer, I was in cheer and for about 10 years I was a competitive swimmer. That was mainly because of my Dad, since he was a swim coach.
“I finally tried volleyball and found my love for the sport because it relies on a team-aspect. I really enjoy that competitiveness and being able to rely on the bond with my teammates.”
Not only did she discover her love for the game, but quite the skill-set for it as well, evidenced by the impressive stat-line (250 kills, 265 digs, 427 receptions, 22 blocks) she put up a year ago that led to second-team, all-district honors.
However, the journey wasn’t without its challenges.
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“I’ve been on varsity since my freshman year, but it was very intimidating,” said Greeney. “It was really hard to get to know the girls at first, but they’ve been so welcoming. Developing a relationship with all of them came with a lot of support, which I’ve tried to do as I’ve gotten older. From my position, you really have to progress in that leadership role, when starting off that young on a team like this.”
It didn’t take long for Greeney to make connections on the Willis squad, which naturally features some fond memories.
“The most memorable moment that I’ve experienced in this program so far - and I’m sure some of the other returners share it -was when we went to Austin last year for a tournament,” she said. “We had a cooking competition, which was just so fun because we were working together, on the clock. Of course, it got really competitive since we were on teams, but that’s part of what made it fun.”
Despite contending in what could easily be considered the state’s most talented district, Willis has the talent to cause some upsets in the coming months.
That would be the perfect way for one of their star outside hitters to garner some well-deserved attention.
“The goal is to compete at a very high level in college someday,” Greeney said. “I want to hopefully go to a Division I school. I have some offers from some D2 schools as of right now, but I’m trying to eventually get that greater opportunity down the line.”
When she’s not hanging out with friends, swimming at her family’s lake house or partaking in her guilty pleasure of Grey’s Anatomy this fall, Greeney and the Wildkats should anticipate a resurgence under the direction of first-year head coach Kayla Jenkins.
Stay tuned.