As the new year of 2026 has begun, students have started to reflect the past year and set goals for a fresh beginning. Whether it may be lighthearted goals, like making their bed everyday, or heavier ones, like working towards college, Wildcats are determined to make the best out of 2026. Nathan Lee, Gemma Webb and Eva Lee shared their resolutions for the new year with The Paw Print.
Nathan Lee
Nathan Lee, a sophomore at West Ranch, is determined to maintain his resolutions for the New Year as he emphasized, “I have never really been successful in any of my New Years resolutions but this year I’m hoping to be 100 percent on them.”
The root of his determination comes from prioritizing his future. Some of his aspirations include wanting to become better at playing his instrument, the violin, maintaining good grades in school, and getting his driver’s permit and license. Most importantly, “building new experiences, projects and extracurricular activities that [he] can work on for [his] college apps” is Lee’s most prioritized goal.
Lee is confident that his desire to be successful will keep him motivated to continue his resolutions throughout the year. Lee chose to focus on these main resolutions as they would be “most helpful for [his] future,” and after fulfilling these goals, he hopes to be “a more consistent, active and committed person.”
When asked to give advice for others following their New Years resolutions, Lee simply stated, “I would say, ‘just do it.’”
Gemma Webb
West Ranch Junior Gemma Webb plans to become a more productive and outgoing person as she enters the new year. As her senior year is just around the corner, Webb’s most important goal for the year is to complete her art portfolio to get into “a good art school.” She put an emphasis on this goal as she expressed, “I would like to do art for the rest of my life.”
Webb also aims to continue to maintain her grades throughout the school year. Webb explained her desire to make efforts to, “study and do [her] homework on the same day” she receives it because she often has a tendency of “putting it off”. On top of this, Webb hopes to participate more during class and ask her “teachers questions after class” to become more involved in school.
The intent behind Webb choosing these goals for her New Year’s resolutions was shared: “What led me to choosing these resolutions is that I’m very prone to burn out and I’m very stressed during the school year so it’s good if I put actions towards making sure that my grades are on top of the world.”
Though she is determined to succeed in all her resolutions, some are more difficult to maintain. When asked which resolution she thinks would be the hardest to keep, Webb emphasized, “Maybe asking my teachers questions because I’m nervous sometimes.” She continued, “It’s good for me to get out there and actually ask them questions that I need help for.”
Keeping a positive mindset, Webb is determined to succeed in her New Year’s resolutions and become an even better student and individual. Whether it be through putting more effort or going out of her comfort zone, to Webb, “every baby step counts.”
Eva Lee
Junior Eva Lee, a player on West Ranch’s Girls Varsity Golf Team, is determined to improve her golfing technique through consistent practice as the new year kicks off. In addition to her motivations towards golf, her goals for the year are focused around staying fit and healthy as she hopes to “go to the gym more often.”
Lee’s motivation to become better at golf stems from her competitive ambition to win against West Ranch’s “rival” school: Valencia High School. As the new golf season is just around the corner, Lee is committed to improving as much as she can.
Furthermore, Lee plans to stay on top of her resolutions because she feels like she was slacking last year. To prevent this from happening in the New Year, Lee set other goals that will help her follow her goals, including her plan to “get [her] license so that [she] can go and practice” whenever she wants. Lee plans to pass her driver’s license test this year which she believed would also allow her to attend practice more frequently and easily, contributing to her overall goal of improving her golf skills.
By the end of the year, Lee hopes to become a more productive person and is determined to keep a positive mindset throughout her journey. To not lose sight of her goals, Lee reminded herself to “just keep on working towards [her resolutions] because it will pay off by the end of the year.”
These Wildcats are determined to make the best out of the New Year and strive for even greater success. Though they may go through different struggles and various obstacles, let’s continue to cheer these students on. Cats, if you have resolutions for the New Year, make sure to stay consistent and focus on your goals!
