When someone is involved in a little bit of everything, it’s easier to make friends.

Think about a person who says, “hi” to everyone they walk by. They are easy to talk to. This is what senior Lauren Tali strives to do everyday.

“I look at how everyone is different and think about how different is good,” Tali said. “I have learned not to be afraid of change or people who are different from me, to get along with everyone and I have made a lot of amazing friends.”

Tali’s coach, Deanna Neldon, also sees this natural friendliness in Tali.

“I find her kind because she’s kind to every person she sees,” Neldon said. “She says ‘hi’ to them and makes them feel special. She’s very positive and has positive things to say to everyone.”

Tali knows that she owes her openness to all of her after school activities. Diversity Council and Breakfast Club have both been a big factor in her social life.

Diversity Council has followed Tali throughout her time in high school. Since she joined the council her freshman year, she considers them all close.

“I devoted myself to Diversity Council my freshman year,” Tali said. “I feel like we’re good peers in the school and in the club. We get along in Diversity Council.”

Tali also noted how she is in multiple clubs that are similar to each other. Both Breakfast Club and Diversity Council serve to welcome and be amiable to others.

“We want to be open to everyone,” Tali said. “We want everyone to have a place where they can be judgment free.”

One of Tali’s closest friends, senior Rebecca Nyguyen, also sees how much of a positive effect Tali can be.

“She is always brightening my day,” Nyguyen said.“She is a great person.” Tali is also a part of the LHS volleyball and rugby team. In both cases, she feels like her teammates are family as she constantly spends time with them.

To Tali, rugby is more than a family. Rugby feels like her home because she has been around the sport all of her life.

“It’s been a family sport forever. Both of my parents, my grandpa and my uncle played it internationally,” Tali said. “I feel like I have been around it forever.”

Even though Tali sees rugby as her home, she has a closer relationship with the volleyball team.

“They were a group of girls that I could always count on being there,” Tali said. “I miss them and hearing their stories.”

After all these years she never even considered volleyball as a career, but then the opportunity came to her. Metropolitan Longview Community College came to Tali with an opportunity to play for them.

While she has this opportunity, she has no clue what she is going to do afterwards. She is going with the flow of her life.

“I change what I want to do every day and it frustrates my mom,” Tali said. “I say I want to be a teacher or in criminal justice. I have even said I want to be a nurse practitioner. Honestly, I am open to anything that comes to my mind. I will go with whatever I love.”