There is someone in each of our lives that has such an impact on us that it shapes us into the person we become or will become. Emma Sullivan has a few people that have been very influential in every aspect of her life.
“One of my biggest influences in my life is Kellie Jensen,” she said. “Kellie is my small group leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and she always knows what to say and how to help and support everybody in her life. I would love to one day have the knowledge she has now about the Bible and overall life in general. My mom and grandma are also people I look up to because of how strong they are in their daily lives. They go through so much and yet they are always there for me and my brother whenever we need them.”
Sullivan is a sophomore at Enid High School, where she plays volleyball and is a member of the track team. Outside of sports, she is also involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Student Council, the National Honors Society, Principal’s Advisory Committee, Concert Choir, this year’s musical: Footloose, Impact Volleyball Club, and the praise team at her church.
No matter what sport is taking place, Sullivan says that there is one team on their schedule that she always enjoys getting the win against.
“I enjoy beating Ponca City the most,” she said. “They are usually a very decent team that gives us some good competition. All of our Enid teams always look forward to playing Ponca because we are such big rivals. I’m already looking forward to playing them next season.”
Sullivan knows that there is usually a lot of pressure put on athletes to be the best. But she has some words of wisdom for all the high school athletes out there.
“I want other athletes to know it’s okay to not be the best or to get stressed out and overwhelmed,” she stated. “We’re humans. It happens. We get tired, we get attitudes, we get upset, but we have to be careful how we handle our emotions. Your life can be dictated by the way you handle the obstacles that come your way. If you start struggling, reach out to your teammates and talk to them. You’ll realize you’re not alone and many others have the same feelings.”