Samantha Pond of Naples has been selected as the area Lions Clubs’ “Student of the Month” for January.

Each month, area Lions Clubs recognize a Lake Region High School senior who has excelled academically. The recipient is honored at a Lions’ dinner meeting and is presented a monetary award.

Name: Samantha Pond

Town: Naples

Parents: Amy Pond, Jason Pond

Student organizations, sports teams, activities, hobbies: National Honor Society, ASTRA Club, concert band, concert choir, jazz band, jazz choir, drama, and Class of 2019 publicity manager

Q. What do you like most about school? I love that school provides me with opportunities to get involved with our community through volunteer opportunities, events and clubs.

Q. What is your biggest challenge in school? My biggest challenge in school has always been second guessing my work. I’m known for writing an entire essay, deciding I don’t like it and erasing the entire thing.

Q. What is your favorite subject, and why? My favorite subject in school is band. I love music and being able to play it every day, this class allows me to express myself. I enjoy performing at school events and concerts. I also love the opportunities band has provided me with.

Q.  If you could change one thing about school, what would it be (and why)?

If I could change one thing about the school it would be the amount of student involvement. I love seeing students involved in athletics, music, arts and much more! I want to see more clubs and opportunities added to the school for students to find what they like so they can become involved.

Q. What characteristics do you believe a good teacher should possess? I believe a good teacher possesses the characteristics of being passionate, caring, kind and understanding.

Q. What goals did you hope to achieve during your high school days? I hoped to achieve good grades through all of my high school years so I could attend college, which I have done. I also hoped to be introduced to new experiences and I can confidently say I have learned so, so much from all the new experiences I have had during my high school career.

Q. What do you hope to do in the future in terms of career, and why are you headed in that direction? I plan on going to get a degree in elementary education. I have wanted to become a teacher since kindergarten. I love learning and how much teachers care about their students. I want to be able to be a part of children’s education and teach them lifelong lessons they will remember forever.

Q. What do you think it will take to be successful in the future? To be successful in the future it is going to take a lot of time and hard work. It is going to take trial and error and learning from all my experiences.

Q. What lesson have you learned while at Lake Region High School that will help you in the future? A lesson I have learned from school is you can learn from failure. If you fail to succeed the first time try again and again to get it right. This will help me in the future as you do not always succeed the first time you do something, and you cannot give up because of that.