At just sixteen, Anastasia Hinderliter wakes up at 5 AM and doesn't leave school until 8:30 PM some nights, finally falling into bed around 11 or midnight. It's an exhausting schedule, but for a junior who seems to appear everywhere at Monmouth-Roseville, it's simply life. Soccer field as a record-setting goalkeeper, choir room harmonizing with classmates, pit percussion section keeping the beat, hallways mentoring younger students on freshman tours, and quiet corners writing poetry about everything from the Cold War to the space race. 

"I'm in band, choir—everything you can probably think of," she laughs.

Her confidence has been hard-earned and carefully managed. Anastasia remembers arriving as a freshman, already outgoing, already eager. Unlike many who shrink when they see the scale of high school, she says her self-assurance never wavered. In fact, soccer helped it grow—though not without complications. "I've broken three records now," she says. "Sometimes it gives me too big of an ego during season, but I just keep recalibrating my expectations."

The goalkeeper's role wasn't her first choice. She started as a defender but discovered her knees had other plans. "I have weak knees that pop and give out sometimes," she explains matter-of-factly. "As a defender, you're more aggressive, but goalkeeping uses more hands, which works better for me." The position suits her personality too—resilient, willing to face pressure, and always learning from setbacks. "All the pressure's on you as a goalie. But I had a coach, Marshall, who showed me the ropes when I started in eighth grade. I credit him for a lot of what I can do."

Her approach to setbacks reveals a mature self-awareness. "If I don't make it, I just go to practice and set the bar a little lower next time," she explains. "But I don't drop it too much. I'm a perfectionist. That can paralyze me sometimes, but I find ways to adjust."

Academics matter as much as athletics. History has become her passion, thanks to teachers like Ms. Haddlestad and Mr. Dilly, who made the subject come alive. "History is important because you learn what happened in the past. But people should also be taught colorblind," she says. "Nobody should be judged off the color of their skin or past injustices. I actually wrote a paper on that in a Monmouth College class I'm taking." When she sees students being marginalized or made fun of, she steps in. "I'm usually there like, 'that's not right,'" she says. She hopes to become a history teacher herself, determined to model the kind of support she's received.

Her creative side finds expression through poetry, where historical themes merge with personal reflection. "I just wrote one about history in general—Cold War, revolution, World War II, World War I, the space race," she explains. The writing happens in stolen moments between her packed schedule, another outlet for processing the world around her.

Music fills enormous portions of her day. After starting on trumpet in fifth grade, she switched to percussion freshman year, moving from drumline to pit, where she now serves as section leader. Choir and madrigals add layers to her musical involvement, along with her previous media broadcasting class where she learned video editing and production skills. "I wake up at five and don't leave school until 8:30 some nights," she admits. "It's exhausting sometimes, but I love it."

Her marathon days aren't only about personal achievement. Anastasia lights up when talking about the Teen Center, which operates from 3 to 6 PM during the school year and 12 to 6 PM in summer, providing food, homework help, art activities, and a safe space for students. "It's one of the things I love most about this town," she says. "They're always there—people like Amy Rogers, Jess Ferguson, Savannah, and Blue. They help with everything from mental struggles to hygiene items to games. There's always food there if people need it, and they have this pantry with toiletries and supplies." She has pitched in through volunteer projects like playground work at the Jamison Center and community produce giveaways. "It's a safe place, and I hope they get more than what they deserve."

She also belongs to TRIO, the Sandburg College program that supports students with tutoring, college advising, and preparation. "They help with interviews, college work, even take us on summer trips and fall trips," she explains. "Randy is our advisor, and we have weekly meetings where they coach us through things like interview questions. It's a really good support system."

Family anchors everything else. Anastasia comes from a big, blended family of six siblings spread between her mom's and dad's sides—three older (Harley, Chevella, and Luke), one younger (Zoe), plus two younger half-siblings (Alexis and Eric). She's the only soccer player among them, but that makes her identity as a goalkeeper distinctly hers. "As far as I know, everybody gets along," she says with the diplomatic wisdom of someone navigating complex family dynamics.

College looms large on the horizon. Augustana and Western Illinois top her list, both close to home and strong in history. "I don't want to go too far from home," she says. "This community means a lot to me." Whether she continues soccer at the next level remains uncertain—it depends on how demanding her academic schedule becomes—but history, teaching, and writing are all part of the path ahead.

For now, though, she's fully anchored in Monmouth-Roseville—diving across the goal line, leading the pit percussion section, mentoring younger students, and carrying the confidence of someone who has learned to adapt without compromising her standards. "A lot of the teachers here, if you're struggling, they're right there to help," she reflects. "That's something I'll miss most about this place."

As one teacher might tell her, those qualities of resilience, creativity, and care will carry her far. Anastasia agrees, smiling with the mix of humility and determination that defines her story: "It's gonna go by fast. So I want to make the most of it."