Hi, my name is April Gerth. I am a student at Big Lake High School and I am starting my senior year. I am also a member of a couple sports teams, those being swim and dance. On top of these two sports, I work for Big Lake Community Education. I’m a swim lessons instructor at the BLHS pool, which tends to occupy most of my summers. I strive to help kids of all sorts of ages and levels to further their swimming abilities, while also having fun. The majority of my teenage years have been spent inside Big Lake High School, but I wouldn’t change it for the world!
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I live with my parents, Brooke and Chad, and I have a younger brother, Chandler, who is 14 years old. My family also has a dog named Rocky, who is a yellow lab.
Q: How long have you lived and/or worked in Big Lake?
I’ve lived in Big Lake my whole life. This town is all I know.
Q: Tell us about your current, past, or future career.
Right now I work for Big Lake Community Education and teach swim lessons. I’ve been working there for a little over a year and I love it. In the future, I hope to be a Mental Health Therapist. I love the idea of being able to mentally/emotionally support those who need it most.
Q: Have you ever had a nickname? What is it and why were you given it?
I never had a nickname as a little kid, but my friends have started to call me “Gerthy” within the last year. I don’t know why they do it, but I don’t mind it. It’s kind of funny I’m not going to lie.
Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies or pastimes?
Along with swimming and dancing, I love putting together puzzles and hanging out with my friends. I can be both an introvert and an extrovert.
Q: What is one thing on your bucket list?
I know this is so cliche, but I really want to go skydiving. It’s one of the first things I want to do once I turn 18.
Q: What would you buy/do if you won the lottery?
I would honestly pretend I never won the lottery, and I’d continue life as normal. I’d still want to go to school and pursue a career I love. The only thing different is that I’d have bucket loads of money sitting in my bank account, which can save me from a lot of debt in my future.
Q: What has been a challenge you have had to overcome? (Life, School, Work, etc.)
I’ve dealt with quite a few mental health struggles within the past few years, which have made juggling school, social life, and extracurricular activities very difficult. I never used to reach out and talk to people about these struggles, which only made things worse. Now, I am working on looking at the bright side of life and having fun with everything I do.
Q: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I’d definitely change my confidence and self-talk. I tend to get very hard on myself at times, and I’m trying to teach myself that it’s okay to not be 100% all the time.
Q: What is something even your family and friends may not know about you?
I know how to solve a Rubik’s Cube. I may take a couple minutes to do so, but I can solve one!
Q: What is one of your favorite things about Big Lake?
I like that Big Lake is a town small enough to know a lot of people, but it’s also big enough to explore and to entertain yourself while staying in town.
Q: What advice would you give to people living in Big Lake?
Try your hardest to put yourself out there as much as you can. Involvement really can make or break your experience in a town like Big Lake.
