If you hadn’t been introduced to her, Izzy Manahl (aka Isabel) would seem just like a regular senior at Ames High. A girl involved in activities like fall cheer and track and looking towards the next step of college, she is like most other Seniors, and is a very hardcore One Direction fan.

However, a lively personality and buoyant attitude make her a great individual to know. Along with her taste for cheer and track, Izzy believes that the smaller things as a high schooler can sometimes mean the most. “More so than being in sports, [I think] it’s about being involved by bringing stuff for food drives, going to watch your friends at their events, and going to see the plays and stuff. It’s all a part of the experience, and I think that’s what makes [being involved] more enjoyable.”

Besides enjoying her experiences with friends, her twin brother, Christian, has provided her with some of her best times throughout high school. “As we’ve grown up this year, it’s been really fun.” A sibling relationship can never be perfect, but she says there are more good times together than there are bad. “We just hang out and sing a lot in the car to and from school. He’s really smart and he can help me with my homework, too.”

According to Izzy, her favorite teacher is Mrs. Seibert. “She is probably my best friend,” she concedes with a laugh.

Though she has love for many things, nothing compares to her love for One Direction. She has no absolute favorite member, because it “depends on the day,” she says. “Louis [Tomlinson] looked too good at the American Music Awards.” She isn’t all about the boys from Britain though, with art, politics, rollerblading and true crime books all being big interests of hers.

A girl with many hopes, interests, and great thoughts, Izzy Manahl is a senior that is living her final year here to the fullest, but also remembering to look to the future.