Senior Spotlight: Amelie Harvey

Amelie Harvey’s sister helped her find Sage Ridge School when Amelie was starting 7th grade. When Ami thinks back to those middle school years she fondly remembers hullabaloos, the end of the year carnival, and the time capsule the class buried with Mrs. Gallivan’s help. Ami became an energetic member of her class and would eventually help start the Sting Squad, a cheer team for Sage Ridge athletics. 

Amelie started participating in theatre as a young child because, she says, “I never shut up.” After years of plays and musicals in elementary school and with the Western Nevada Theatre Company, Ami made her debut on the Sage Ridge stage in 7th grade for Winterfest, and she continued to share her talent with our community throughout the rest of her years. She loved that she got to meet new people and work with classmates in other grades through theatre. She remembers Kalama Flagg (‘19) and Owen Grimm (‘19) bringing new energy to the show "Mamma Mia," and theatre friend Nicole Becker (‘18) taking Ami under her wing for her first school dance. Besides the new friends and the opportunities to compete at the state level, theatre has also helped Ami to manage stress. She credits acting, singing, and improvisation for helping her process emotions, and that has made a significant impact on her success at Sage Ridge.

Amelie is looking to study sociology or philosophy in college. She’s interested in human interactions, the way communication functions, and how philosophy can open up different ways of looking at the world. “I want to learn how to see the world for myself instead of adopting other people’s ideas,” she explains. 

Amelie’s advice to younger students is very simple: “Talk to your teachers.” She cites two main reasons: for one, “they’re people! They have some crazy interesting lives that you would never know about if you didn’t get to know them. Did you know that Sr. Garzon discovered a species?” And two, “They are so willing to help you with any issue you have.” Communicating with teachers can help you get through difficult material or a bad week, and it can prevent further issues in the future, she explains. 

Amelie’s advice shows just how much progress she has made over the course of her time at Sage Ridge. Mrs. Gallivan remembers her being “grumpy, resistant to help, and a little disheartened by previous school experiences, but we didn’t let her get away with trying to be invisible. We knew she would grow to be an amazing young woman, and she needed encouragement and time to realize that on her own.” Amelie credits Mrs. Gallivan’s support for helping her become the student she is today. “I was so disorganized and I couldn’t turn anything in on time,” Amelie says, “but she would sit with me to help me fill out my planner and get me to clean out my locker so I could find my materials.”

Amelie recognizes how much Dr. McGann has helped her as well. “I would get nervous about asking for extensions, and Dr. McGann would first tell me that I was a great student, and then she’d say, ‘Go talk to your teacher. I’ll go with you.’” Dr. McGann asserts that all the credit for Ami’s growth goes to Ami herself: “She has been strong, resilient, brave, and optimistic. I have seen her tired, but I have never seen her give up.” Sage Ridge is proud to send Ami off into the world as a representative of the school’s pillars and mission.