Being a senior has struggles of its own, but adding sports and a job on top of that seems like a stressful combination to have. For some people, this may be too hard of a challenge but for senior Luis Gomez, this is what he has chosen. Gomez is not only playing on the varsity soccer team and has a part-time job, but also takes on the obstacles of AP classes.

Some students may wonder why anybody would choose to take on so many activities. According to Gomez, it is to prepare himself for the future.

“I like being independent and seeing my family be proud of me,” he said. “I want to be successful in life and give my family what I couldn’t receive growing up.”

With all the extra things Gomez does, just like anybody else in his position, he sometimes falls behind and gets lost in his sleep-deprived state.

“Some of the time you feel like everything is too much,” he said. “You just want to forget about it and quit everything.”

Gomez somehow manages to stay motivated despite the huge load he has placed upon his shoulders. One of the biggest struggles he has encountered is trying to find the time to study for his classes.

“Studying is terrible because by the time you’re able to it’s late and you’re exhausted,” he said.

Though this lifestyle as a high school student is not for everybody, Gomez manages his time and sees the advantages in having so much to do.

“I sacrifice a lot of free time that you would use to be with friends and family, but one of the benefits of having a job is that you always have money on you and are able to do anything when you have time,” he said.