Students
Kickin’ it with Mary Alice
At first glance, Mary Alice Hughes may
seem like your average 15-year-old girl.
She loves reading, watching Auburn football
games, listening to One Direction, and obsessing over Criminal Minds.
With a third degree black belt, however,
and a teaching certification in Taekwondo,
Mary’s skill in martial arts reveals that she is
far from average.
Her focus and dedication have driven
her to accomplish what many can't in an entire lifetime. Mary has practiced martial arts
since age eight, and considers becoming a
certified instructor her biggest accomplishment so far. It isn’t easy to do what she does,
but the challenge is what makes her grow
stronger in Taekwondo--and even in her daily
life. The sport has taught her humility, perseverance, integrity, and confidence.
Mary isn’t planning on giving up any
time soon.
“When I think about quitting, I remind
myself that losing Taekwondo would mean
losing a key part of my individuality. I have
been doing it for so long and have such a
great love for it that I can no longer envision
my life without it,” she said.
It has helped shape her into the
person she is and she attributes her confidence, self esteem, and individuality to what
she has learned. It even helps her in school
at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, where
she studies creative writing. She hopes to
graduate with a 4.0 GPA and go on to study
at Vanderbilt. She will do all of this while still
advancing in Taekwondo. She knows that it
will help her to achieve her goals because
it teaches the importance of acknowledging
by VALERIE TAYLOR
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