- Ferra Pinnock
- Atlanta Girls’ School, senior
There is never an idle moment in Ferra Pinnock’s life.
She plays three sports – soccer, softball and basketball. She hikes. She’s president of the Circle of Sisters, the equivalent of the student council at Atlanta Girls’ School.
In fact, she so busy, she’s learned to dedicate a half-hour to an hour each night to relaxation, no matter how busy she is. She’ll watch a TV show, listen to music or read a book.
“I try to spare myself some ‘me time’ as often as possible, just to maintain a reasonable amount of sanity,” she said. “Nothing is worth running myself into the ground, and it is this understanding that keeps me motivated and grounded in spite of the many obstacles that come with being a student-athlete.”
Ferra transferred to the Atlanta Girls’ School, an all-girl school in Buckhead, when she was in the seventh grade. She enjoys the laid-back environment an all-girl school offers.
“We all look the same, and there are no social standards that you always have to worry about it,” she said. “It leaves a lot of time and sanity for focusing on what is important like school, and just becoming a good person.”
At the same time, Ferra misses aspects of being in a coed school, such as pep rallies and football games.
At school, Ferra is a member of the Outdoor Club, which organizes outdoor trips, including excursions to go rafting and rock climbing.
She’s active in both student affairs and sports. Sports teams mean a lot to her. As an only child, she feels that her teammates are like her family. And being president of the Circle of Sisters has helped make her a better leader and a more patient person, she said.
Ferra’s favorite subjects are math and chemistry.
“I like them both because they are very practical and I am a very realistic person,” she said. “I like studying concrete ideas.”
At AGS, students are required to complete an internship during the summers before 11th and 12th grade. Two years ago, Ferra shadowed emergency room residents at Grady Hospital as she was considering a career in medicine. Ferra then decided that she was interested in engineering and completed the Yerkes Internship at Emory University this past summer.
“My favorite part was interacting with a variety of people,” Ferra said. “Being a witness to the dynamic variation of cultures and perspectives was often enlightening and especially entertaining.”
Amy Conlee is the internship counselor at AGS and has gotten to know Ferra well during the past three years.
“She is full of leadership and humanity,” Conlee said. “She has a great character that is displayed in everything she does.”
All in all, Conlee describes Ferra as “the girl who is kind to the person who others aren’t.”
What’s Next:
Next year, Ferra hopes to attend a college with a great engineering program where she will study chemical engineering.