By Travis Sloat

As a student at Caddo Kiowa Tech enrolled in the early childcare program, Mountain View junior Maggie Hooper says she’s enjoying her time preparing herself for the future.

“So far, I’ve learned how to take care of children in case of an emergency,” Hooper said. “Things like giving them CPR, how to remove them from a building quickly and safely during a fire, and other precautions like tornados. This is helping me prepare myself for dealing with children, so I can ultimately pursue a career in physical therapy for children with special needs.”

Venturing out into new waters is nothing new to this year of experiences for Hooper as she’s made the decision to return to playing basketball again for the first time since the sixth grade. She said the decision stemmed from a conversation with an assistant coach over the summer.

“He asked me if I played basketball, and I told him no,” she said. “He told me that was a shame, and that gave me something to think about. The next day I texted him and said I would love to play this year.

“I wanted to be on a hard-working team,” Hooper continued. “Since then I’ve been going to practice, hanging out with the team, and I’ve learned to push myself and find a love for the game.”

In her free time, Hooper enjoys hanging out with her family and friends, going to the gym, practicing cheer, and spending quality time with her pigs. She said she also spends a lot of time with her FFA officer teams.