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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Arika Gourley
By JoEllen Collins for the Weekly Sun
Arika Gourley, Wood River High School senior, says she’s grateful for the opportunities the school and community have given her to immerse herself in music studies.
Gourley has maintained a 3.5 GPA while practicing and performing many hours a week with her violin.
“In addition to the instruction I enjoy for developing my music skills, I appreciate the wide number of academic options at school, especially for AP classes,” Gourley said. “This access is probably the best thing about Wood River High. Our school strives for greatness.”
Probably her favorite class is AP Literature, where students discuss and write about many kinds of masterpieces.
“My most memorable study was of Charles Dickens’ ‘Great Expectations,’” Gourley said. “I understood the characters and their era and could relate it to today’s society.”
Gourley, described by friends as creative and talented, is also known for her kindness.
“I am a teen advocate at The Advocates for victims of domestic violence, attending a meeting every Sunday, helping out in the community, and planning events like ‘What is Love’ set for March 10. I also work two to three hours every Tuesday afternoon with fourth- and fifth-graders, learning string instruments.”
From a musical family of five, including brother Kade and sister Ava, musical talent surrounds her.
“My mother, Rebecca Martin, conducts the orchestra at both the middle and high schools, and my stepfather plays guitar along with my mother and her violin in a band,” Gourley said.
Gourley attributes her passion for music to instruction she began in the fifth grade with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony workshops.
“I have been so fortunate to work with these gifted musicians and this is where I first met Ellen Sanders who, as our quartet coach, has been such a positive influence,” Gourley said. “Now that she is working here at the high school, we all can benefit from her expertise and guidance.
“As a freshman, I began to expand my violin techniques. That was when I became a member of the Harriman Quartet, along with three other students, working with the professional artists Time for Three. How lucky I have been to be able to develop relationships with my fellow students and these amazing musicians. Because of being challenged out of my comfort zone, I have continued to see growth I might have not have had otherwise.”
Gourley and other musicians from the high school have won many awards, including the Harriman First in State for Quartets (under the auspices of the Idaho Music Association) and several top prizes at the Heritage Festival in Anaheim, Calif., where she and other members of the group won the Maestro Award.
“I am planning on a musical life,” Gourley said. “I will first attend the College of Southern Idaho, where I hope to play with the Magic Valley Symphony and continue lessons with my coaches up here, and then pursue options at the University of Idaho or other institutions with fine music programs.”
Each week, JoEllen Collins will be profiling a local high-school student. If you know someone you'd like to see featured, e-mail joellencollins1@gmail.com.