Athlete Spotlight: James Wood Volleyball Player Emma Montgomery

Posted: September 15, 2015

 

Emma Montgomery

James Wood High School 17-year-old senior

 

Sport: Volleyball Position: Middle hitter

 

Parents: Jeff and Christel Montgomery. Hometown: Winchester

 

What do you love about volleyball: The team aspect of it. I feel like working as a team, not only do you learn so much, but you also make great friends. I feel like that’s really valuable. You learn from each other, and you grow relationships

 

Most memorable moment in volleyball: Going to the state finals last year. (James Wood became the first girls’ team in school history to make a state final.) That was a huge moment. It was fantastic, electrifying and amazing. Being able to play in a college arena, and competing against a great team, was really fun.

 

Three people you can have dinner with, dead or alive: [Civil rights activist] Rosa Parks; she really stuck to her values, and I really love that about her. [Singer] Taylor Swift; she’s really strong in sticking to her values and her opinions. And [British prime minister] Winston Churchill; his leadership skills are so admirable.

 

If you were stranded on an island, what’s the one thing you’d want to have with you: My family. I’m really close with my parents and my two older sisters. I love them so much, and they’d make [being on an island] a lot easier.

 

Favorite teacher: James Wood history teacher Deborah] Grumbacher. I had her last year. She taught me lot about how to manage a lot of activities, and how to take charge of your own learning process. She had an awesome class, and I loved going there every day and listening to what she had to say. She was really inspirational inside the classroom and outside the classroom.

 

Favorite athlete: [Gymnast] Gabby Douglas

 

Favorite sports team: Penn State women’s volleyball

 

Best live sporting event you’ve been to: The West Virginia-James Madison football game at FedEx Field [in 2012].

 

Favorite movie: “The Book Thief”

 

Favorite book: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

 

Favorite website: Instagram

 

Plans after high school: I want to go to a four-year university, and I’m really interested in international journalism. What interests me is meeting every type of person, and giving a voice to people who don’t have a voice sometimes. Going around and getting the opinion of everyday citizens, I feel like that’s so important. You can learn so much from different cultures and different people. I’m fascinated by how culture affects your beliefs and how you choose to act.

 

— Compiled by  Robert Niedzwiecki