Samber K. Saenz

From elevators and music to Junie B. Jones and school, Samber K. Saenz loves it all. The senior is editor of the Warren High School newspaper, the Chariot; historian of the orchestra; and aspiring academic decathlon member.

"I love staying busy at school," Saenz said. "I just love that school."

Saenz enjoys being social, active and productive. She is a "huge book series reader" and is currently working on the complete works of Shakespeare. She has read the works of Edgar Allen Poe, the Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, the Dark Tower series, Magic Tree House and Junie B. Jones.

"Junie B. Jones is the first series my mom made me read," Saenz said. "You get this sense of accomplishment when you finish a series."

Having been to almost every state, Saenz said her family moves frequently because her parents were first in the Air Force and later in civil service.

Her parents are divorced, but family still plays a big part in her life. Saenz's mother returned to active duty and is on her second tour of Afghanistan. For Saenz and her family, the situation may be difficult, but with the family motto "This isn't our first rodeo," they've pushed through it together.

"Even though my parents are divorced and my mother is deployed, family has been the one thing that kept us grounded," Saenz said. "If it weren't for a sense of family, we wouldn't be a unit that my mom needs. We hold down the fort, while she literally holds down a fort."