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Getting To Know Your February

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

By: Debora Timms

JANAE’ ARMSTEAD

Sport(s):               Track, Volleyball, Basketball, Softball

School:                 Thomas Jefferson High School

Class Of:              2022

GPA:                    3.77

Family:                Mother- Jarnette Armstead; Grandfather- Joseph Armstead, Jr. Brothers- Travis Skinner, Jr. (6) and Tavaris Skinner (5)

Hometown:          Richmond

Current City:       Richmond

Favorites:

Color – Blue

Food – Nothing specifically, I like everything

  Football Team – San Francisco 49ers

Track Team – USA of course, but I like Jamaica too

Movie – Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

School Subject – Currently, chemistry

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Which of all the sports that you play is your favorite?

Volleyball

What do you like most about volleyball?

The sisterhood that comes with the sport.

Which sport have you been playing the longest?

I’ve been running track the longest. I’ve been running track for six years. I just started the other sports this year.

Do you have any academic or sporting accomplishments you’d like to share?

I’ve had perfect attendance since kindergarten. Besides that, scholar roll and honor roll mostly.

You’re part of the International Baccalaureate program as well. Tell me a little about that.

It’s a challenge, but I keep myself ahead of the game.

How do you balance your academic life with sports and other interests?

I’m a student athlete. That’s student first, so I take care of all of my academics first before I go to any sports or anything like that. Homework-wise, when I go home – I mean, I might have two practices a day, but when I go home, straight to homework.  On Mondays and Fridays, I try to get all of my work done because those are my two days off.

What has been your proudest sporting moment?

I don’t have a specific one. I’m just proud of myself for trying something new and having it work out.

How about academically? Is there an achievement you’re particularly proud of?

Yes, keeping myself above a 3.5 GPA.

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

Balancing school and my outside social life. Usually, I only see my friends at school. On the weekends when everyone is partying or going to a basketball game or something like that, I’m at home – probably doing work – or at practice.

Do you plan on going to college?

Yes, I plan to attend a four-year college. I want to major in biology and I want to become an anesthesiologist.

Is there a particular reason why you want to be an anesthesiologist?

No specific reason, I was just somehow drawn to the job – drawn to the medical field.

What are you most grateful for?

The support from my family and friends.

What community service work are you involved in?

I volunteer at the Fairfield Library. We hold a technology development class for elderly people who aren’t really tech savvy. We sit in the class for about one to two hours helping them with anything they need, like sending text messages, emails – learning how to send stuff through phones and how to work social media.

What do you enjoy most about that experience?

Interacting with different generations and learning new things from other people.

Can you give me an example of something that you’ve learned?

From the older generations, they didn’t have technology as much as we do. It didn’t play as big a role in their lives as it does in ours now. I realized that they had to come together more in person than we do now. I think that is a big difference.

Who or what inspires you?

My mother’s drive – she’s very hard working.

What advice would you give to others?

Never let somebody tell you what you can’t do and always believe in yourself.

Is there anything else we haven’t talked about that you’d like to share?

I have one other volunteering thing that I do. In the summers, I volunteer at Delegate McQuinn’s Summer Writing Institute helping middle school and high school students develop their writing skills.

How did you get involved with that?

Through one of my middle school teachers. She was one of the head counselors at the camp and I wanted to join the camp. My writing was really enhanced a lot and I wanted to share with other students what I had learned.