Meet Dallas Mathews! Dallas is a senior at Holt High School (Go Rams!) and she plans to attend Grand Valley State University after graduation.

Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I’m very close with my parents, which is something I am very grateful for. My mom, Deanna, is a hardworking hairdresser who loves what she does. She is a very high-spirited, friendly person and is always looking out for people. My dad, Dave, works in the insurance industry and is the definition of a people person. It seems like everyone in the area knows my dad somehow, which is something I find so interesting. He never fails to make me laugh and is always teaching me how to be a successful person in the real world. I have two older half-sisters, Dalanie and Dayna. They are always there for me when I need advice and I can always count on them to have my back. I have a lot of love for my family.

What are your plans after graduation?
After graduating, I would like to attend Grand Valley State University. I am interested in majoring in psychology or counseling. I would really like to have a job one day where I can work with kids.

What are two of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Buddies Holt and Texas Roadhouse.

If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
I would love to travel to Italy. I have always wanted to go to Italy because I love Italian food and I think the culture is very intriguing. I also think the Italian architecture is just unreal and makes the country seem so elegant. I would love to eat pizza there!

What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
I love the show “Manifest” on Netflix and my favorite movie will always be Forrest Gump.

If you were asked to give advice to your senior class and the younger students at your school, what would you say?
My advice would be to put in the work, always. Schoolwork should always be a priority over sports and social life. Sometimes you can’t always choose the most fun scenario because you have to get the hard work done first. Another piece of advice I would say is to get involved. I have joined many clubs at school and I genuinely believe they have made high school more enjoyable. I recommend trying out a club or joining a sports team, it is something you won’t regret. My final piece of advice would be to not be too hard on yourself when it comes to school. You are only human and sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and take things one step at a time. Don’t let yourself get too overwhelmed or stressed about the little things in life.

If you were able to be cast as yourself into a television show or series, what show would you want to be in?
Probably Grey’s Anatomy. I think it would be really interesting to be a cast member of that show.

If you could choose anyone to have lunch with, who would you choose? Why? And where, locally, would you meet for this lunch?
I would love to have lunch with Adam Sandler at Texas Roadhouse. I love to laugh and I feel like he is the perfect guy to count on for some comedy. I also feel like he would really like the rolls, because how could you not?

What is your favorite thing about our community?
I love the generosity our community has. I love seeing food and clothing donation bins around the area, it just makes me so happy seeing that there are still plenty of kind people in the world.

Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
In 5 to 10 years, I would like to have a job in the career I chose. I would like to own a house and a car. I would hope that I would be married and starting a family sometime within those years too.

What is something on your bucket list?
Skydiving!

What is your go-to band/singer when you can’t decide what to listen to?
I gotta go with Rihanna or Khalid!

Favorite month? Favorite holiday? The best single day on the calendar?
My favorite month is probably July. I love the heat and not having to go to school at all that month. My favorite holiday is Christmas. I love everything about the holidays and I love giving gifts to the people I’m close with. There are also endless amounts of sweet treats which are my weakness. The best single day on the calendar in my opinion is my birthday! I love my birthday and I always go to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate.

What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Chips and Salsa.

What is something you want to do as soon as this pandemic is finished?
Throw away every single mask I own and have a party!

Who inspires you to be better?
My parents, for sure!