Challenging selves led Ephrata seniors to opportunities

EPHRATA — High school kids should remember high school isn’t the end of the story.

“High school isn’t the end to life. There’s more out there – don’t limit yourself,” Mackenzie Ness said.

And high school kids may find unexpected rewards – maybe even a career – if they follow their own path. “Don’t be afraid to not go with the norm of what everybody else is doing,” said Alex Urbina.

Alex and Mackenzie are part of the Ephrata High School class of 2017; graduation is scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m. at Kiwanis Field.

Both have been active at school. Mackenzie played in the EHS band, was on the executive board of the EHS National Honor Society chapter, and ran cross-country. (She tried track for one year, she said, “but I didn’t enjoy it. I didn’t like the circle thing.”) Alex played football along with running cross-country and track. Oh, and he was in the EHS drama club.

And taking a chance and joining the drama club turned out to be an important decision. He enjoyed acting, he said, so much he’s going to try to make a career of it.

He’s been in the EHS productions of “Grease” and “The Snow White Variety Show,” among others, and the Basin Community Theatre productions of “Le Miserables” and “Shrek.” An actor can transform himself into the character, he said, make the audience like or dislike that character. “Knowing that I impacted (the audience) in some way,” connecting with the people watching the show, make acting very attractive, he said.

For Mackenzie, the challenge came outside of school, the result of trying a climbing wall, “a plywood wall with some holes in it,” at summer camp. She was hooked.

“I cornered somebody at church who I knew (was a rock climber) and said, ‘take me,’” she said. Family friend Randy Bracht agreed, and Mackenzie became a regular among the rock climbers in north central Washington.

Rock climbing is “a really big social sport,” she said. ‘You’ll meet all kinds of people.” Most are older than she is, however. “I’m the only person under, like, 40 (years of age),” she said.

“You’ll be friends with people you wouldn’t expect to be friends with,” she said. The drama club and Basin Community Theatre introduced Alex to a whole new set of friends, who have continued to be his friends even after they've graduated.

Alex is interested in an acting career, enough to take a risk – he’s moving to Los Angeles, enrolling in an acting academy. It’s a big change, he said, but his dad told him that if he wants it, he should go for it now, while he’s young. He hasn’t really thought about what he’ll do if doesn’t work out. “If I’m willing to put in the work, something will happen,” he said.

Mackenzie plans to attend Wenatchee Valley College in the fall, the first step to becoming a high school math teacher. Her original goal was to teach history, she said, but “the higher I go in math, the more I enjoy it.”

Math is “finite. This (answer) is right and that (answer) is wrong. But there are many ways to get there (to the answer).”

“Like rock climbing,” Alex said.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.