Senior Feature: Emi Curia

Photo+provided+by+Emi+Curia

Photo provided by Emi Curia

Caroline McConnico, Staff Writer

As June makes its way to center stage and seniors take their final bows, it is officially time to tell the Reynolds Class of 2021 to ‘break a leg’. With this bizarre school year finally coming to a close, it’s curtain call for senior Emi Curia as she reflects on her cameo as a Reynolds student for the past two years. 

“My high school experience, in one word, was crazy,” Curia said. “The thing I’ll miss the most, which is the best part of school in my opinion, is the social environment.” 

A new student last year, Curia spent her freshman and sophomore years at Paisley IB Magnet School. With her junior year at Reynolds cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Curia feels as though she has still learned important life lessons despite the wrench thrown in the school year.  

“In the end, high school has taught me to let things go,” Curia said. “With every punch that school throws, you have to let it go or it’ll just make you upset. I learned that the hard way.”  

Despite her non-traditional high school experience, Curia has still found ways to better herself while always performing well. 

“Emi is always moving forward as a student,” Japanese teacher Mrs. Banjoko said. “She has a strong work ethic and once she sets up a goal, she goes through the process, which can be long and strenuous.” 

As a teacher at the Career Center, Banjoko has taught Curia since she was a freshman, creating a tight bond between the two. 

“I am very proud of Emi and her accomplishments,” Banjoko said. “I will miss her presence in class and not being able to see her hand go up.”

Having performed in a few Reynolds drama productions while also taking acting and dance classes at both the Actors Group and University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Curia’s passion for the arts has been immense.

“Acting is my greatest passion. To me, acting is living unapologetically,” Curia said. “In order to conform to society, people often mask how they truly think and feel. But in acting, there are no consequences. You can do anything you want!”

As senior year comes to an end, Curia plans to attend the University of North Carolina Greensboro this coming fall.

“I will be a part of the Lloyd International Honors College at UNCG,” Curia said. “I plan to major in psychology and minor in foreign language with concentrations on Japanese and Spanish.”

When asked what she would say to Curia if she could only tell her one more thing before graduation, Banjoko had an easy answer.

“「明日野やろうは馬鹿野郎」です。でも、たまには息抜きも大切ですよね。. Emi has been practicing and knows this,” Banjoko said. “The proverb sounds like a slogan and I would like for her to remember it in Japanese. It says, ‘Let’s do it tomorrow is stupid’.”