“Success in my sport would be defined by being an energy giver on the court,” Aubrie Schulz explains. “It is extremely important to be a good teammate in our sport because how we play is based on our mood and our unity.” Creating an environment where everyone can work cohesively and respect one another is not an easy task. Aubrie Schulz chose to take on this feat when she was nominated as the volleyball team captain for the 2025 season. In the time she spent as an underclassman on the team, she “looked up to the older kids so much and respected them more than anything.” She was determined to create the same atmosphere of respect and learning when she became an upperclassman, knowing that her leadership would set the tone for the entire team’s success.
Schulz doesn’t only bring people together on the courts, but in the classroom as well. Her teammate and classmate Shea Lightcap describes Schulz as “dedicated, helpful, outgoing, and smart.” When asked about Schulz’s motivation tactics, Lightcap explained that Aubrie “encourages teammates when we are at low points, on and off the court.” Schulz believes in the importance of team bonding, and one of her favorite ways of showing this is through spirit days. She describes them as fun and easy ways to show that you are a part of something important to you. These seemingly small gestures help create a culture of belonging that strengthens the team’s performance.
Aubrie’s athleticism has been one of her primary characteristics for her entire life. She attended Shannon Carney Dance Academy for several years, from the age of six to 11. She played soccer at Deep Run all through elementary and middle school while also trying lacrosse, constantly finding new challenges and ways to push herself. Schulz’s competitive nature is rooted in the love of sports and an active lifestyle. This competitive nature spills over into Aubrie’s school life; however, in the classroom, her biggest competitor is herself. Rather than measuring her success against her classmates, she focuses on continuous self-improvement and personal growth.
Aubrie is ranked No. 5 in the class, and she is taking three of the hardest AP classes in the school: AP Calculus BC, AP Physics, and AP Chemistry. Aubrie’s calculus teacher, Tammy Rissmiller, describes her as “confident in her learning abilities and able to interpret the teacher’s lessons in different ways to help other students.” Aubrie doesn’t place value in getting higher test scores than anyone other than herself. She strives to be better than herself the day before. Aubrie explains that with volleyball on her plate, “there were a lot of times where I could not study because of how late we would get back from games. I would just be exhausted all the time.” Despite this exhaustion, Aubrie maintained her academic standing through sheer determination.
Aubrie often makes difficult challenges look like a breeze, but her peers know how much work and dedication she gives to everything she conquers. “Volleyball takes up my whole life. During the school season, I have no time to do anything. We have practices and games every day starting the first week of August, going until the end of October. Then club volleyball starts.” The stress of this time commitment wore on Schulz throughout her high school experience, but especially when college application season came around. “With college applications happening at the same time as volleyball, I had no motivation to do anything,” Schulz stated.
The stress of school and sports can often feel overwhelming for any student, and with Aubrie’s high expectations for herself, she needed to find some creative outlet. Through the taxing overlap of school volleyball and college applications, Aubrie found that cooking and baking brought her solace. Aubrie also created an ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) Channel. These outlets that Aubrie found allowed her to remember that while working hard is important, it isn’t all that matters in life.
Aubrie Schulz is a force to be reckoned with when she walks into the halls of Pennridge High School. Whether she is on the volleyball courts dominating an opponent or in the classroom giving her all to every course, her drive to succeed is never shut off.
