This week, Iyla Weeks will take our senior spotlight. Her friends would describe her as kind, courageous, and a leader. Iyla has impacted many individuals in the community, so we are honored to shine the spotlight on her.  

Iyla has been doing art for the past four years with Mr. Couling as her teacher. Mr. Couling shares, “ My favorite thing about Iyla is her dedication to her work. She always does an amazing job on all of her projects and art work, and her leadership skills are also outstanding as well.”

Weeks plans to continue her academics at Spring Arbor University, where she will major in business and minor in art. She is also continuing her volleyball career, which she has been very successful with in high school. Weeks also had many accomplishments in high school, including being in the top 10 in her class GPA-wise, earning all-region, all-conference (3), and all-conference MVP awards.

Danni Fritz, also a senior, has known Weeks her whole life and is one of her closest friends. She says, “Iyla is a very thoughtful person who always makes me laugh. What makes me the most proud of her is all of her volleyball accomplishments. I’m excited to see her play in college.”

Weeks has had major contributions to Concord, whether that being school spirit, helping others, or planning events: Weeks does it all. Her favorite class is leadership with Mrs. O, she shares, “My favorite class is definitely leadership. It is probably my favorite because it is a self-paced class, brings out creativity, and helps me plan. This will help me with the business, planning, and PR aspects of working out in the real world.”

Weeks has had many memorable moments at Concord. Whether it’s winning big on the volleyball court or just with friends, some of her favorite memories involve the school. Weeks shares one of these memories, “It would be my freshman year when my sister was a senior. I know that my freshman class was very competitive with the seniors. Hannah and I did a homecoming game, and we won it. We ended up winning it our senior year as well, it was the balloon pop game.”

Georgia Weeks, Iyla’s older sister is someone Iyla has looked up to her entire life. Georgia shares a few things about her high school career, “Hey, little sis, I can’t believe you’re in your last few months of high school. Watching you grow over these past four years has been such a blessing. Feels like yesterday you were the nervous little 9th grader headed into high school. Being your older sister is a gift, but getting to call you my best friend is the greatest perk. I know I’m the older sister, but I look up to you in many ways. I admire your hard work, but even more than that, I admire your spirit and your heart. You pour into your friendships and relationships, always giving your all to the people in your life. Watching you make your friends laugh until they cry is one of my favorite things about you. If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be this: soak in these next few months, because they will fly by. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting this go by quick because you’re ready for the next thing, but you have so much time to experience new things. Take these next few months to slow down, embrace every moment, and truly appreciate this season of your life. Love you little sis, I’m so proud of you.”

As her time comes to an end as a high schooler, Weeks shares that she will miss her friends the most after graduation, “In college, we don’t really get to find excuses to see each other; it’s more about finding your own time to hang out rather than just seeing each other every day. I’m going to miss the environment for sure.” Weeks gives incoming freshmen a piece of advice sharing, “Don’t slack off your freshman year of high school, but also try to find the fun in coming to school every day.”

As we celebrate the achievements and the journey that Iyla has experienced, it’s clear she has made an incredible mark on our school community. Whether playing volleyball or achieving in the classroom, Iyla has inspired her peers and teachers at Concord. We wish her the best of luck in college and the remainder of the school year.