As the song “May We All” by the Florida Georgia Line group plays in the background, Senior Leslie Germany types with intensity, getting what she needs to do done, modeling what to do for the team she brings together and leads daily. It’s not homework, she’s working on, though, she’s helping her fellow students and the community. As the editor of the school’s online student news site, she’s making certain readers of the GroomTigerTimes.com are up-to-date with the information that they need.

“Leslie’s editing not only makes Groom School shine when it deserves to shine,” journalism adviser Lisa Roskens said, “but, her work and the work of her staff also make certain the readers of our newspaper have the truth about our school and our community.”

Germany, who is in her fifth year at Groom ISD after transferring here with her sister Jamey when they were in junior high, participates in sports, UIL, one-act play, student council and National Honor Society, to name just a few.

“Leslie is a very hard working girl,” mother Gracie Germany said, “and very responsible.”

Germany has been out of the country. She’s been to Poland, Germany and Italy. She traveled to Poland for World Youth Day, where millions of other Catholic believers and the Pope live, in the summer of 2016. Germany visited in Poland for two weeks and Rome for one week. She also traveled to the country of Germany, as well.

“It’s neat to see what the world consists of outside of the Texas Panhandle,” Germany said. “It was a neat experience, and I was glad that I got the opportunity.”

She loves playing with her nieces after school. Even after a long day of working hard and basketball practice, she is always ready to play with Play-Doh/sand, color and watch movies. Germany said she enjoys watching them grow and learn new things every day.

“I consider them more as little sisters than my nieces,” Germany said. “They live right down the street from us, so I usually get to see them at least once a day.”

Germany has participated in many UIL events, including feature, news and editorial writing. Over the past four years, she has learned how to write stories in each event. For Germany, the first couple of years were “nerve-wracking,” she said. She’s done UIL for four years now and made it to regionals her sophomore and junior year.  This year Germany plans to go out with a sweep, competing in all four traditional journalism events: news, editorial, headline and feature writing. Early this semester, she brought national recognition to the newspaper by earning a “Best of SNO -Student Newspapers Online” award for an article she wrote about senior Mason Miller.

“I like to write,” she said. “I didn’t figure out that I enjoyed writing until my freshman year when Mrs. Roskens convinced me to participate in UIL Journalism.”

Germany attends the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Pampa. She’s an active member of the “Chosen” youth group in Pampa, as well. She enjoys going to church every Sunday and Wednesday.

“I enjoy going to church,” Germany said. “Getting to go to youth every Wednesday after a long day at school kind of feels like an escape from everything else going on.”

Germany plans to become a Spanish teacher after high school. To help with her research on becoming a teacher, she’s sat in and observed in the Spanish classes.

“I’m a bit nervous for college, but I feel like I’m ready to take another step in life,” Germany said.

Germany will be attending West Texas A&M in the fall of 2017 and plans to major in “Language Other Than English” Education to become a Spanish teacher. She knows that college is going to be a workload, but is willing to overcome any obstacle she faces to get what she needs to do done.

“I’ve lived with just my mom since I was eight. She’s the reason I’ve come this far,” Germany said.

She won’t be too far from home, though, as WTA&MU is only about an hour away in Canyon. So, she’ll be able to visit her family, friends, and still be able to play with her nieces.

“I think that moving away from home is definitely what will be the hardest to get used to, but I know that it has to happen eventually,” Germany said.

She’s coming from a  house of four with two sisters and one brother. With her being the third child, it will definitely be quite the round-about. Her older brother is a Marine and her older sister is a veteran.

“Knowing that my daughter says she wouldn’t be where she is now without me feels good,” Gracie Germany said. “She was the one that did all the work. I just was behind her.”

Caroline Britten has been friends with Leslie all through high school. Now, they both intend to go to WTAMU, together, too.

“I’m excited to go to the same college as Leslie,” Britten said. ” I know we will have a lot of good times in our future.”