OrthoTexas Outstanding Student: Gracie Raymond

Gracie Raymond knows a thing or two about time management.

The Blanton Elementary School students heading into 5th grad this fall is a Select softball player, school chorus member and competes on the Destination Imagination team.

“She is my self starter child, so she is really somebody who likes to do her own thing,” Missy Raymond, Gracie’s mother said. “She is motivated, and she told me she wants to be in Destination Imagination. These are things she wants to do.

“She wanted to go out for Select softball, and she tried out and made it, so this is self-motivational.”

Gracie is also a straight A student at Blanton, and Missy said it brings her great pleasure to see her daughter working so hard at such a young age.

“I’m so proud of her,” Missy said. “I am just so proud of the things she is doing and just that she takes such pride in the work that she does and the activities that she chooses to participate in.”

Gracie, 9, who lives in Lantana, has two teachers at Blanton in Mrs. Kudrna and Mrs. Sewell, and said of all the activities in which she is involved, one does stick out slightly above the rest as her favorite.

“That’s very hard, because I love softball, I love Destination Imagination, I love chorus,” Gracie said. “But if I had to pick out of the three, I would probably say softball, because I have been playing it since I was in Kindergarten and my dad always coaches me.”

Gracie plays outfield, first base, second base and third base on her softball team.

“I’m also training for catcher,” Gracie said.

As a straight A student, Gracie attributes her academic success to a couple of factors.

“I don’t get in trouble a lot at school,” Gracie said. “I have never gotten a B on my report card, ever, and I think it helps that I am involved in school.”

Gracie said it is difficult for her to say that she has a favorite subject at school, because she tries to take the good with the bad in all of her subjects.

“Everything has its really boring parts and its really fun parts,” Gracie said.

Gracie said she loves to read and said she likes Blanton Elementary School because of the teachers and friends she has.

The Lantana youth said she has also given some thought to what she would like to be when she grows up.

“I either want to be a teacher or I have always wanted to be a hair stylist,” Gracie said.