Do Gooder Shares Tips on Keeping High GPA

Theoretically, community service is always worth a teenager's time. But realistically speaking, can local high school students under tremendous academic pressure afford the time?

The answer is a big YES from Olivia Drake, a graduate of 2010 with a 3.98 GPA, and a winner for her outstanding community service.

Back in 2006, Drake was one of the class 0f 2010 students at Cupertino High who initiated Kenya Dream, a plan to provide students of Nthimbiri Secondary School in Kenya a life-changing opportunity by raising $100,000 to upgrade the school’s facilities while inspiring students around the world to help uplift others less fortunate.

In 2007, more than 90 percent of the class of 2010 signed a petition to give 100 percent of their fundraising, which would normally help fund class parties, dances, and junior and senior prom, to help Nthimbiri Secondary School in Kenya.

In 2008, the dream reached out to the other classes of Cupertino High, making Kenya Dream an official school project.

It took Drake countless hours to make Kenya Dream come true. In the meantime, she participated in water polo and swimming throughout her entire high school career. She also frequently cheered on fellow athletes at home games and even away games.

In addition, Drake went to Mexico with a church group to mentor underprevilidged children for a week every spring throughout her high school years.

How did she manage to keep a high GPA while spending so much time on sports and community service?

"It had a lot to do with focus," says Drake. "I always made sure I finished all my work before I went online."

Drake points out a common habit of teenagers: once they get online, they stay on Facebook or other social media for hours, and forget they haven't done their school assignments yet.

Besides self-discipline, Drake says she also had some friends in Cupertino High--the same school where her father, , graduated in 1982--she studied with, and that made studying more fun and effective.

There was still one more reason behind her high GPA: not pushing too hard.

"I knew what I could handle," says Drake. "I only took two AP classes every semester, two honors classes in my junior year and no honors classes in my senior year."

Drake explains that many high school students in Cupertino put too much pressure on themeselves by taking more AP or honors classes than they were capable of handling. In the end that turned out to hurt their grades.

"I would suggest not having every single class in AP or honors," she says.

Now a freshman at the University of California-San Diego, Drake uses the same methods to balance grades, sports and community service.

Drake hasn't declared her major yet. But she is thinking about pursuing international studies, with a minor in Spanish or public health service.

"I want to do a lot for the world," she says.

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