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by Abby Bench
Section Editor
Waking up at six, getting ready, studying scriptures, and then driving to jazz band is how Gracie Kjar starts her day. Next she goes to her classes, then golf after school, followed by either work or going home. At home, Kjar does homework, practices her instruments, works on art, and helps her mom prepare dinner. She spends time with her family until 9 o’clock rolls around; then she’s off to bed until the start of another busy day.
“I’m kind of average at everything but I’m well spread,” Kjar said. “I wanted to branch out a little bit.”
Throughout her life, Kjar has continuously picked up new hobbies and interests. She’s lived in the same house in Moroni her whole life with her mother, father, and two sisters. It was at Moroni Elementary where Kjar discovered one of her first and biggest interests.
“This is kind of a funny story, but I remember when we went to computer lab in elementary school I saw a little drawing on the teacher’s desk,” Kjar said. “I decided I wanted to draw like that, and I thought maybe I’d like drawing. That’s kind of when it started.”
As she moved from elementary to middle school she expanded her art skills. As she took new classes, Kjar moved from just drawing to painting as well. She improved a lot over the years.
“Anything she puts her mind to, she can just do it,” said mother Lindsey Kjar. “She sits down and can just draw and go into that fantasy land and it’s just amazing.”
Being an artist has helped Kjar in other areas of her life as well. It gives her a new and more creative perspective. She’s also able to connect with others through art.
“It’s really beneficial because I can go to her and get an honest opinion or I can come to her for ideas,” said sophomore Christene Jones. “She can help with things that I’m needing help with or I can try to help with things she needs help with.”
Painting wasn’t the only thing Kjar tried in middle school. She was also introduced to another type of art, music.
“Music started more in middle school with me learning how to play the flute,” Kjar said. “Even before that I kind of played the piano but not well.”
Playing the flute was the gateway to so much more. Kjar now plays the saxophone,which only took her two weeks to learn, and is learning the bassoon. She also knows the ukulele and piano.
“When she got to high school she decided to play the saxophone and join the jazz band,” Lindsey Kjar said. “Now we just love the genre, and we love to listen to jazz. It’s opened up a whole new world. I love how musical she is––it brings me joy.”
Along the lines of music, Kjar has taken part in the school musical. However, despite having a nice voice, she is part of the technical crew not performers.
“I was just a lightboard operator, which isn’t really a ‘just’ job,” Kjar said. “It’s a big-time investment for me. The light board is also hard to learn; there’s a lot of buttons on it and I don’t even know what half of them do.”
Moving away from more art-centered hobbies, Kjar also enjoys playing sports like pickleball, ping-pong, hiking, and golf.
“Right now I’m playing golf,” Kjar said. “I’m just barely learning it this year so I don’t really know what I’m doing but it’s still a lot of fun.”
When Kjar isn’t playing sports, creating art, or doing another of her many hobbies, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
“She’s a really fun person to be around,” said Jones. “She has a lot of fun things to say and do. She’s good at talking to people and bringing everyone together as a group.”
Kjar also loves spending time with her family. She has a sister who is five years older and another who is twelve years younger. Despite the gaps, Kjar and her sisters get along really well.
“She’s a great middle sister,” Lindsey Kjar said. “She’s supportive to her older sister and very good with her younger sister. She just fills so many roles.”
Kjar is also fortunate enough to live only a few blocks away from her grandparents. She helps her grandpa bake bread and spends time in his neighborhood’s famous garden.
“They’re so supportive; they just love her,” Lindsey Kjar said. “She’s got her grandpa wrapped around her finger. She can do anything at all with him and he enjoys her so much.”
Kjar spends her limited amount of free time baking, cooking, writing, reading, and crocheting. She also practices calligraphy, her instruments, and drawing.
Despite having so much to do, Kjar still does her best to maintain a 4.0. She values academics and getting good grades is important to her.
“Right now I’m in all honors classes like honors language arts, honors math, and I’m technically in honors science with chemistry,” Kjar said. “I’m in band, seminary, and right now I’m in a sewing class.”
She’s also involved in many school clubs like upward bound, the math club, and FCCLA. Kjar has a goal of becoming the general Sterling Scholar, so she does a little bit of everything and does her best at all of it.
“She’s very hardworking and good at what she does,” Jones said. “She always puts her best effort into everything. It doesn’t matter what it is, she’ll work really hard on it.”
Kjar has the difficult job of trying to juggle everything in her busy life. It can be a struggle at times but she manages to balance it all.
“So what I like to do is plan out my time very very well,” Kjar said. “Every minute, well maybe not every minute, is planned. I would definitely say I plan out what I’m going to do and have that in mind.”
No matter how busy her life gets however, Kjar still finds time to serve others. She’s considering teaching an art or swimming class. She enjoys serving and volunteering in her community.
“We volunteered with her young women’s group at the Moroni Elementary School,” Jones said. “We did face painting for little kids. That was a really fun memory for me.”
With all that she does, Kjar could be described as many things: creative, smart, social, talented. But above all, she is kind.
“It sounds kinda cheesy but she’s really kind,” Jones said. “Everyone always doesn’t like somebody but she really likes everybody. She’s just a really nice person.”
