When it comes to balancing school, life, and history class, Zoe Adams has it covered. Over the course of the past four years she’s been able to take 4 AP history classes, 3 psych/sociology classes and one government class, maintain a presidency in NHS and run cross country while also maintaining a social lifestyle. From skiing to studying and hanging out with friends, Adams understands the importance of balancing life and school, and how finding a subject she loved helped her along the way academically and in winning the 2023 social sciences sterling scholar. 

Even though most students would find this workload overwhelming, Adams’s understanding of the importance of balance and her love for history are two things she credits with helping her academically and socially throughout her entire school career.  

“I think that balance is really important especially when you have multiple different things going on at once.” Adams said. “I love social science but I also really love to read and ski and spend time with my friends so I think finding balance is something that is really important.” 

Adams has loved history forever, but it was in her social studies class in eighth grade when she truly became obsessed with it. 

“I had a really great teacher in eighth grade for social studies she was absolutely amazing.” Adams said. “We read the Book Thief and I think that was the first time I realized how much I liked learning about different things in history, so when I came Highland and had Mrs. Jacobsen it was amazing and then I just kept on signing up for history classes.”  

Even though the requirement for the social sciences in high school is 5 credits-3 full year classes and 2 half-year credits- Adams has taken 8, the maximum of what any student can in this field. Alongside helping her win the Sterling Scholar award for this category, Adams also credits these classes in helping her understand the importance of perspective in the world and around her. 

“I like learning about history and seeing what was happening in one part of the world when at the same time something else was going on across the globe.” Adams said. “I find it fascinating that such a small world has so much going on and it’s really interesting to be in class and hear all of my teachers teach the same thing in history but point out different ideas and perspectives.” 

Adams also credits her love of history to her dad, a history buff himself. 

“My dad was a history major you know so he knows so much and I just remember in seventh grade I was learning about the civil war and he was reading a book about General Grant and we just kept comparing everything we had learned about the topic.” Adams said. “It’s fascinating to be able to talk to somebody who really knows the details of what you’re learning about and who’s a huge history guy.” 

Zoe Adams’s dad also remembers these engaging conversations and how history has always been a major topic of discussion for the two.  

“We talk about a lot we talk about current events, past events; we engage quite a lot on topics that are meaningful and important, and I would always engage with her when she would talk about history because I love history too.” Adams’s father Chris Adams said. “She’s naturally very curious and very interested and wants to know why things are going on and I think that  she’s really engaged in the things she learns about and that are going on around her.” 

Although Adams doesn’t know if she’ll choose the social sciences as a career path, she does know that she’ll always be interested in learning about them.  

“I definitely would like to continue history and learning about the other social sciences in college.” Adams said. “ I’m not sure if this would be as a profession but I’d like to keep them in my classes because I just find them fascinating.” 

Adams encourages everyone to learn as much as they can about history, even when it can at times seem overwhelming.  

“History is awesome.” Adams said. “There’s a lot of facts to memorize and dates to learn which can turn a lot of people away but I think that learning about history and hearing everyone’s story really helps broaden your view of the world and is something that everyone should give a chance.”