Senior spotlight: Sports and activities keep New Philadelphia High's Sloan Agar busy
NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ Sports and extracurricular activities keep New Philadelphia High School senior Sloan Agar busy, not always giving her a lot of time to pursue her passions of working with animals and constructing fairy gardens.
Agar, 18, is the daughter of Heather and Justin Agar.
At school, she participates in track and volleyball. She is also president of the student council and a member of the Key Club, the National Honor Society and the Art Club.
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She enjoyed participating in track. "That was really fun. We have a really young team this year, so I'm making friends with freshmen. I'm one of the only seniors on the team. I have to be a leader for that," she said.
"I have to take them under my wing and show them what to do, how to be at practice and try their best. Also, for them to not be nervous and know they're OK if they get freaked out after a bad race or something."
New Philadelphia had a great volleyball team this year, she said. She was grateful for the work of the coaches who supported the players in everything they were involved in at high school. "It's really a family, our volleyball team."
The student council does fundraisers for the Rainbow Connection, and the officers shop for people as part of their involvement in Share A Christmas, she said. "It's a lot of fun."
The Key Club makes blankets and does monthly birthday visits to the shelter in New Philadelphia operated by the Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County.
Outside of school, Agar likes to volunteer at the shelter operated by the Tuscarawas County Humane Society. Her busy schedule hasn't allowed her to volunteer much in recent years.
"I just love the animals. I love cats. I want to do it more in the summer, especially. I haven't had a chance in a bit, because I've been so busy with sports and school," she said.
"I just really love animals, and I just think it would be a nice thing to do to help my community. I know they need help."
Even though she loves cats, Agar said working with dogs at the shelter is more fun. In the past, she has taken dogs for walks and helped clean their cages.
She plans on volunteering at the shelter this summer.
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She has been constructing fairy gardens since she was in the seventh grade and shows them at the Tuscarawas County Fair each year.
According to realsimple.com, a fairy garden is a small garden (or corner of a garden) designed to look like an inviting spot for fairies. Fairy gardens can be in the ground or in a pot or other container. Typical fairy gardens include miniature accessories that look like they can be used by fairies.
Agar puts her gardens in baskets.
"Every year since the seventh grade, I've put a fairy garden in the fair. I started doing it with my grandparents. That's always just been something fun to do because I love gardening," she said.
Her grandparents, Linda and Dave Agar, do a lot of gardening at their home in New Philadelphia.
After graduation, Agar plans on attending Miami University of Ohio to study accounting. Following college, "I'm not really sure what I want to do. I might want to go to law school. I'm not really sure. It's kind of up in the air," she said.
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Sports, school activities kept New Philadelphia senior Sloan Agar busy
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