The weather was getting worse by the second. The storm had seemed to come out of nowhere. With the boat tipping more and more with every crashing wave, junior Malia Williamson prepared for the worst.

As a young girl, Williamson went on a sailing trip with her family that turned brutal.

“When I was very little we were all sailing and then came a big storm.  All of a sudden we all had to go down to the cabin underneath and stay there. The boat started to shake and I was worried.  My dad and my mom were still on deck, and when the boat started to tip, my mom fell off the boat. Luckily she had her life jacket still on,” Williamson said.

Williamson’s dad pulled her mom back into the boat, but her mom was left with bruises on both legs.

Not all of Williamson’s sailing experiences were quite as exciting, but it was memorable nonetheless.  Despite this traumatic event, Williamson has continued occasionally to go out to sea with her family, especially her father.

Williamson has expressed interest in JC’s new addition of a sailing team. JC’s new sailing team, isn’t the only extracurricular activity Williamson shows interest in. Williamson has been on set crew for two years, and plans to continue with it this year.

Being on the set crew means attending every play practice where she has to build, paint, and change sets.

“We do everything for the background for the plays,” Williamson said. She admits that set crew is no easy job and that it requires a lot of dedication. Williamson participated inset crew in 2009 for the fall play “Beauty and the Beast,” as well as the fall 2010 play Peter Pan,” and the spring 2011 play “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

“I love artsy stuff, like painting. I just got in the mood for it [doing set crew],” Williamson said.

Williamson has made many friends through set crew and socializes with the cast members regularly. Williamson revealed that behind the scenes can be just as lively as on stage. “Before the show we’d have little dance parties,” she said.

 Emily Clarke is a Managing Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com