Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week-Rayna Harris

Only a month into the indoor season, senior track athlete Rayna Harris is gearing up and preparing for her best season yet. The past three years on the track team have helped mold and shape Rayna into the athlete and leader she is today, and with a strong senior class, expectations for the upcoming indoor and outdoor season are high for the lady Wolves. With graduation and the end of high school looming over the class of 2020, Rayna and her teammates are willing to put in any work necessary to make this season as successful as possible and achieve their goals, which is why she is this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Rayna ran club track before high school but did not join the Oswego East team until her sophomore year. Attending a small private school for junior high and transitioning to Oswego East can be daunting, both in the size of the school population and physical space. "Attending OE as a freshman from a private school was difficult in the beginning, but participating in track opened up doors for [Rayna] to make new friends and strive to become a better athlete," says Etiennette and Kevin Harris, Rayna's parents.

Joining the track team helped transform Rayna into the person she is today. Head coach Connor Downs says, "Rayna is one of our top girls in terms of speed, but she doesn't allow her talent to dictate her work ethic." He goes on to add, "She gives 100% every rep. I understand that's a cliché, but it applies here completely. Rayna is a leader in her work ethic and in the way she communicates and sets an example for her teammates every day."

Last season Rayna was thrust into the 4x1 team in the sectional meet after her teammate Jayna Dias was pulled out late due to injury. Despite having never competed in the event, and having little to no time to prepare, Rayna and the 4x1 team were able to run one of the top times of the year.

This season, Rayna has earned a spot in the 4x1 alongside Jayna and two other seniors Taj Allison and Kayla Olschanski. The group has high expectations of qualifying for state, and Rayna has a personal goal of setting personal highs in the 100 and 200.

Rayna's approach to track, as well as academics, is what has allowed her to succeed in both areas in her life. "I think she does a great job of setting realistic goals for herself," says Connor. He goes on to add, "Rayna's intelligence and self-awareness allow her to take on obstacles methodically to achieve those goals."

Working methodically and having a high sense of self-awareness is what has allowed Rayna to succeed in the classroom as well. Rayna has already decided on attending Howard University this fall and majoring in Marketing.

"Rayna attended a business summer camp at Yale University last year, which is where she discovered her talent for marketing," says Etiennette and Kevin. They go on to add, "She and her team created a viable business model by performing market research, developing financial strategies and predicting sales. They pitched their idea before a panel of CEO's and CFO's and won 3rd place out of 40 teams."

Business and marketing is something that allows Rayna to show off her creative side. "I've always been a creative person and marketing was something that provided an outlet to channel that creativity into something tangible," says Rayna.

Rayna's marketing teacher, John Miller, believes Rayna will have a successful future in marketing, saying, "Rayna excelled at creative projects and was an excellent leader with her group as they created, branded, promoted, and presented their product." He goes on to add, "I see the combination of a keen eye for business and marketing, coupled with her drive and determination, helping her excel at anything she does or puts her mind to."

Track, and academics, is something Rayna has found and will continue to find success in because of her strong will-power. "Rayna is an overcomer-resilient and strong-with a great sense of balance, never allowing her circumstances to determine her lot," says Etiennette and Kevin. They go on to add, "She learns from life's difficulties and gets back up when knocked down."

With only a few short months left of her senior year, Rayna still has goals to achieve before she moves on to the next stage of her life. Reflecting upon her past 3 and a half years, Rayna advises future Wolves by saying, "Get out and meet new people through clubs and sports because that is where I discovered a lot of my friendships." She goes on to add, "Join sports because it taught me skills like hard work, perseverance, time management, and the ability to juggle priorities." The skills Rayna has acquired through track and her time as a student at OE will inevitably lead to her future success at Howard and beyond, however, Rayna will put in whatever work is necessary for her and her senior teammates will leave a lasting mark on OE.