GRIFFITH, IN —Janae Nolan has accomplished a great deal during her time at Griffith High School, and soon she will take those achievements with her as she begins a new chapter.

Nolan arrived at GHS in 2022 as a freshman and is now preparing to graduate as a senior. She plans to attend either Ball State University or Arizona State University, ready to pursue new challenges beyond high school.

During her time at Griffith, Nolan was active both in and out of the classroom. She competed on the girls’ varsity volleyball team and participated in track and cross country. She was also heavily involved in Panther Press, serving as editor-in-chief in 2023 and appearing as a featured guest on the Panther Press podcast with reporter Julian Gonzalez. Teachers and classmates say she will be greatly missed.

Nolan has valued the friendships she built at GHS. One of her close friends, Nadia Escobedo, has known her since the beginning of their junior year. “Janae is an amazing friend. She’s super supportive and nice,” Escobedo said. Though the two are sad to go their separate ways, Escobedo is excited for Nolan’s future. “I am sad but excited for Janae to graduate. I hope she pursues a career in acting,” Escobedo said.

After graduation, Nolan plans to attend college and pursue a career in social media management. “I plan on going to college and hopefully being a sports social media manager, then hopefully I’ll go on to something bigger and be a social media manager,” Nolan said.

While Nolan is sad to leave Griffith, she is grateful for her experiences—especially her involvement in theater, which she says helped shape who she is today. She also offered advice to incoming freshmen: “Stay on top of your work and try not to get in any drama because you’re going to get involved in something you don’t want to be involved in.”

Nolan’s impact at Griffith High School is clear, and she will certainly be missed as she moves on to the next stage of her journey.