What does being a Scarlet mean to you?
“Being a Scarlet means a lot to me. This school has so many fantastic people attending and working at it and being able to represent my school means the world. This school has really set me up for the real world and interacting with people,” MaryKate Walling said.

What is your greatest memory you have while attending East?
“One of the greatest memories I had while attending East was the first record that I broke in swimming. The immense amount of support made me feel good and only motivated me,” Walling said.

How has swimming impacted your life?
“Despite my feelings towards it at times, swimming has impacted my life a lot. It held me accountable for schooling and my grades. It also motivated me to become a better me and push myself to do things I never thought I would be able to do,” Walling said.

Who is your role model and why?
“My role model was my grandpa, I always looked up to him. I saw and heard what he went through and throughout my life I saw the person that he has became. He persisted through many things and has taught me many life lessons without even realizing it,” Walling said.

What do you like to do outside of school?
“Outside of school I like to hangout with friends. I also enjoy writing a lot so I do a little bit of that sometimes,” Walling said.

If you could tell your freshman self anything what would you say? Why?
“If I could tell freshman me one thing it would for sure be confident. I would tell her to not hesitate when wanting to try something new. I would tell her to not care so much about what people thought of her and to not be awkward. I would tell her to be herself and be confident with that,” Walling said.

How have you grown from the first day of high school until now?
“I have grown so much since my first day of high school. New experiences and new people in my life have helped me become the person I am becoming. I started a journey that I’m not done with but I’m excited about. I’ve grown to be more confident and comfortable with who I am,” Walling said.

How do you manage being a student athlete?
“Time management is a huge aspect in being a student athlete. I prioritize both things but school always overrules it. I make sure I get things done and it motivates me in a way to do so,” Walling said.

What are your plans for after high school?
“I am going to attend college at possibly Iowa State University and major in Communications,” Walling said.

Tell us something about yourself that few people know.
“Something not a lot of people know I guess is that I love to sing and write. I’ve sang my whole life and I enjoy just free writing,” Walling said.