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District 6 Student Spotlight: TJ Gurney — Early College Academy

TJ Gurney (Courtesy/District 6 Communications Department)
TJ Gurney (Courtesy/District 6 Communications Department)
Greeley Tribune, Greeley local news.

GRADE LEVEL

12th Grade

HONORS

2022-2023 High Honor Roll, on track to graduate with an Associates of Liberal Arts Degree from Aims
Community College, member of the District 6 Council of Student Representatives

CLUBS OR ACTIVITIES

National Honor Society, District 6 Council of Student Representatives, Philosophy Club,
Yearbook Copy Editor.

CAREER/COLLEGE PLANS

Following high school I am attending the University of Northern Colorado, where I
plan to get my Bachelors degree in Journalism. My ultimate goal is to work for a local news reporting company,
print-based or otherwise.

TJ Gurney (Courtesy/District 6 Communications Department)
TJ Gurney (Courtesy/District 6 Communications Department)

FAVORITE SUBJECT

My favorite subject would probably have to be math. I find it really interesting how many
applications there are for all the different categories of mathematics. Right now I am taking Intro to Statistics, and
that has only furthered my appreciation for the beauty of math and calculations.

FAVORITE TEACHER

My favorite teacher is Professor Ryba. After having the honor of taking both Sociology and
Contemporary Social Problems with her, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that they have been some of my
favorites. Professor Ryba encourages us to think critically about the world around us, and to draw connections from
the content to our personal lives as well. She is also simply one of the most caring, funny, and outgoing professors I
have had in my entire school career.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES

Some of my hobbies include: record/CD collecting, reading and collecting
various novels, exploring and analyzing various art mediums, and writing poetry.

FAVORITE FOOD OR RESTAURANT

Oatmeal

FAVORITE MOVIE

The Butterfly Effect

PERSONAL GOALS

I really want to work and strive to better myself at every opportunity, whether this is learning a
new skill, picking up an old hobby, exploring different views and philosophies, etc. I really just want to broaden my
horizons. For me, this means saying “yes” to a lot of things. Even if I do not know what I am going into, I walk away
with a learning experience under my belt. This alongside always standing up for what is right and what I believe in
are my major goals that I always work to achieve.

THE BEST THINGS ABOUT MY SCHOOL

The thing I like best about my school is the community of people. This
is something that people discuss about our school quite a bit. With such a small population of students it is amazing
the variety we have. From artists and musicians to athletes and scholars, there are so many incredible people I am
lucky to call my friends. Since we are all going through a similar high school/college hybrid experience, forming
study groups or reaching out for help in classes is never very difficult or stressful. The community here has been
one of the most comforting parts of ECA, and I am incredibly proud to call myself a part of it.