Jurni Wilson stays involved at University Academy. Wilson, a junior, is involved in DECA, 20/20 Leadership, wrestling, football managing and track and field. She has her nose in plenty of things throughout the course of the school year.
Wilson said, “Balancing my schedule is mostly pretty easy. I just make sure to make time for homework, of course.”
Not only does she turn her homework in on time, she also has good grades and is in the National Honor Society.
Having too many things on your plate at once can be hard, but Wilson has shown she can handle it. Wilson is on the Honor Roll, and she has been on it for years.
“I maintain a good GPA by turning in my work on time and studying a lot. Even if I don’t turn it in on time, I make sure it’s completed,” she said.
She puts her work first, but she is still dedicated to her other activities including wrestling, which she first started because her coach influenced her to try out for the team.
“I was super skeptical at first. Never in my life would I have thought about wrestling. Honestly, it was very scary, but now I can say that I don’t regret my decision at all,” she said.
UA’s head wrestling coach, Jeremy Dorrell, said, “Over these past two seasons, I’ve seen her confidence grow along with her ability to hit moves in high stakes situations.”
Among other wrestling techniques, Wilson has learned to do a good Peterson Roll, he said, making her dangerous on the mats.
So far this season Wilson has earned 11 wins and five losses, and she placed in the Raytown South Tournament. Most recently, she won the championship at the UA girls’ wrestling tournament at Center High School on Jan. 18. Wilson is the first girl to win a wrestling tournament championship at UA, which is a major accomplishment for UA sports.
While wrestling benefits Wilson, 20/20 Leadership also does.
She joined 20/20 Leadership because of all of the benefits she heard it would bring her after high school. Through 20/20, students are able to take field trips to places like college campuses and even Jefferson City. They also recently attended a Financial Literacy Day at the Federal Reserve Bank.
Wilson has many obstacles to face during all of her extracurriculars.
“A challenge that I face doing all the things that I do is probably managing my stress. I can be a very anxious person, and I tend to get overwhelmed at times,” she said.
After high school she plans to work with animals.
“I might study animal science and become a biologist in the future or pursue an education in veterinary medicine,” she said.
She gave some advice for people who want to try out new things.
Wilson said, “If you want to be more involved, don’t be scared. It’s okay to not know what you want to do at the moment, but stepping out of my comfort zone has to be one of the best things that I have ever done for myself.”