Chloe Byrd
While she has not made a final decision on college, Chloe Byrd is sure she wants to serve in the U.S Coast Guard. Byrd is a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Rho Kappa, National English Honor Society, Tri-M, Band, Percussion, Ensemble, Orchestra, Envirothon, and Key Club.
She was selected to serve as a page for the Maryland General Assembly.
She is a martial arts enthusiast.
What has been your favorite memory at Linganore?
“The end the marching season. I enjoyed my time as a section leader, watching my freshmen and sophomores progress, learning a new instrument and just becoming such great friends with each other. I got to see the show at its pinnacle after we practice it so many times and all the chaotic performance. At the end, when we all had the melancholy ‘oh it’s the last one’ and it’s my actual last one because I am a senior who’s graduating. It was mostly a good feeling having gotten to that point.”
What are you going to miss most after graduating?
“I’m going to miss band. I loved that. I’m going to miss the entire social studies department. I’ve really made a good relationship with all the teachers I’ve had and I’ve had the opportunity to use those relationships with my interest in social studies to get connected with different programs. Overall, I’m going to miss the people.”
Do you feel pressure to have your future be decided already?
“It feels crazy that I have to make a right now decision. This isn’t needing to make a general decision. It’s a making a career path decision. It feels like such a big choice to make that I am not entirely prepared to make at this point in time. I don’t know If I’m going to college or enlist in the Coast Guard Academy. Plus graduation is in a few months. Too much is still up in the air.”
What is the most challenging task as a senior?
“Managing time. I’ve really enjoy getting involved in the school. Right now it’s a lot at once. Scheduling everything out and making sure I’m not doing too much at once has been the biggest challenge. I always think I can take on more, and then I feel so overloaded and then none of it gets done. Being realistic about time has been my biggest challenge.”
What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?
“Talk to your teachers and work on building relationships with them. They can connect you to really great opportunities if that is something you are interested in career-wise. Talk to as many people as you can, inside or outside of school. Talk to people and people will deliver.”
Where do you imagine yourself 10 years from now?
“I will be in the Coast Guard by then. I’ll become an officer in about four years, so by then I will have been promoted a couple times. May or may not have a ship by then. I wouldn’t quite be a captain yet, but I will still be a higher ranking lieutenant. I would have a lot of experience under by belt by then. I see myself having gone and made a difference.”
What was the most meaningful assignment a teacher ever had you do?
“Mr. Hornbeck gave my National & Global Issues class a challenge to support Ukraine. We’ve been intensively studying the Russia and Ukraine War and the build up to it. Right now we’ve been working on crafting this teach-in and snack booth that will profit a UNICEF effort that will help children and families affected by the war. Not only have I learned so deeply about Ukraine, but now our class gets to teach others and help them understand.”
When you look back on this school in later years, what will you remember most?
“I will remember the community I’ve found in organizations like Marching Band. It’s just everyone doing something that they find to be fun and meaningful. All of the emotions, excitement and hard-work that went into that. I will remember some of my favorite classes that guided me to be interested in social studies.”