Kristen Baez is a leader on both the sports field and in the classroom. Photo by Phil Corso
Despite popular belief, Kristen Baez does get enough sleep at night.
It might be hard to believe, though, considering the 16-year-old junior from Maspeth High School manages to excel both in and out of classroom as an athlete, leader, musician, sibling, and student. But, at the end of the day, no matter how long, she is just like any other high schooler and said she just wants to make her family proud.
“I can always be better,” she said. “I don’t mind being so busy. I just want to make sure I am a good example to all my brothers and sisters.”
In the winter, Baez brings her best to the basketball court as the varsity team’s starting center. She helped the crew go undefeated this year.
In the spring, she is the starting wide receiver and linebacker for the school’s first ever varsity girls flag football team. They have only lost one game to date.
And in the classroom, the Glendale native was also elected student government president after she earned a 97.68 overall grade point average, which included a better-than-perfect 100.43 last term while taking two advanced placement courses and two more with honors.
There is still more. Baez also spends time as a member of the school’s Key Club and performs in the string ensemble as a violinist. She even said she was considering joining the archery club for her senior year next year.
Football coach and guidance counselor Jesse Pachter said he thought the world of the ambitious teen because she was both responsible and reliable in all aspects of her work.
“She is a phenomenal athlete and a great student. She’ll fall, and then she’ll get right back up,” he said. “Kristen has been a pleasure to have on our team because she always sets the right example.”
Baez first started with the basketball team as a freshman and watched the team grow into a family. She has since become one of the team’s go-to advisors, helping the new blood mesh with the team’s successful system.
Pachter said he drafted several of his flag football players from the girls basketball team, even despite the fact that most of them never played the sport. But their inexperience was barely a factor since the season’s start, and the team has already secured a 3-1 record.
“Everyone has a chance to shine on the field,” Pachter said. “It’s a great team sport and Kristen is one of those kids you can really count on out there.”
She ran for student government president earlier this year and said she has taken on the role to help lead and educate her peers about college. Looking ahead, Baez said she was considering going to college to study medicine and has her eyes on schools like Rutgers or Stony Brook universities.
On a typical day, Baez said she stays at school until about 6 p.m., when she finally returns home and gets right into her homework.
“That way, I can have the whole day to do whatever I want,” she said, barely acknowledging the amount of things she already accomplished by the evening hours on any given day.
When asked how she finds the time to sleep at night, Baez fired back with assurance.
“I actually get a lot of sleep,” she said. “I am usually in bed by no later than 10 p.m.”
By Phil Corso
