Carys Nielsen, an 8th grader at Westchester Country Day School, is passionate and skilled in several areas. She plays eight different instruments, sings, writes songs, acts in drama productions, and plays basketball. Carys loves being in the spotlight whenever she’s performing. At the moment, she’s charting her own path and focusing on her goals, one step at a time. Despite her packed weekly schedule, Carys recently added another extracurricular activity to her list: joining the basketball team at her school. Although this is her first season playing basketball, she is very excited to contribute and make a positive impact on her team.

Balancing all her passions is no easy task, and as Carys admits, “It’s not always easy to balance everything,” she says, “but I love it all too much to give anything up.” Her dedication to all her interests keeps her motivated to stay on top of her tasks, performances, games, and more.

For Carys, music is more than just a hobby, it’s a calling. She taught herself to play guitar using a guitar app, and her hard work and persistence paid off as it quickly became her favorite instrument. While the guitar holds a special place in her heart, she also really enjoys playing the piano and ukulele. Singing is another way Carys expresses herself, and she writes songs constantly, carrying her songbook everywhere so she can jot down lyrics and melodies whenever inspiration strikes. “Writing music is how I make sense of everything,” she explains, sharing how it helps her process and express her emotions.

Carys’s creativity extends to theater as well. She has almost five years of experience in drama, acting in several plays and other theatrical events. Carys loves the thrill of being on stage and the energy that surrounds her performances. During this school year, she was part of a cabaret production, which featured multiple skits performed by actors. As Carys describes how she feels on stage in front of an audience, “I get nervous every time, but I turn it into excitement. There’s no better feeling than performing in front of an audience.” Carys demonstrates immense confidence and shows great passion for her acting.