Katie is bright, she’s driven, and she’s passionate about what she does,” Maize South Band Director Guthridge said, talking about Maize South junior Katie Le, a leader on the sidelines. “She cares about the people around her, and she pours herself into everything she participates in—whether it’s dance or band. Even if she’s having a bad day or is really tired, you literally cannot even tell because she always comes to rehearsal so bright and happy to be there.”
Le juggles being a drum major for the band while also being on the dance team. She stays committed to both teams, taking on a big leadership role as drum major and performing for both dance and band at every home football game.
“Whenever I’m not conducting, I’ll go over to the dance team, run the dance a few times, and then run over to the marching band because we get time to warm up—and that’s when I really mentally prepare for all the stuff I have coming,” Le said.
With busy game days come busy practice schedules for both activities. Le practices three times a week in the mornings before school for the dance team and every day for the band, with night practices on Mondays. With two time-consuming extracurriculars, it can be stressful to manage both while also trying to give 100% to succeed in them. Both Le’s band director, Madeline Guthridge, and her dance coach, Taylor Tims, describe her as a resilient, strong, and driven student. Tims explains that because of Le’s positive attitude and time management skills, balancing both—though a challenge—is something Le excels at.
“Katie has taught me that I can do hard things,” Tims said. “Drum majoring is a difficult position. She’s leading the band but also handling smaller tasks within it, and she’s choreographing for us, too. There are a lot of things on her plate, and it shows me that if she can do it, then I can balance both teaching and having a family and coaching.”
Le often has to make sacrifices to stay committed to both. But even through all the stress of schoolwork, practices, and outside activities, Le continues to stay optimistic and shows up for her teammates and bandmates. Le’s drum major partner, Faheem Chowdhury, describes her as a positive individual who can get through anything.
“I would describe Katie as pretty outgoing and strong—like she knows what she’s doing, and she’s able to overcome a lot of stuff,” Chowdhury said.
Le explains that she was nervous going into the year with such a tight schedule, but says that her friends and coaches motivate her to keep going and help her navigate her way through the overwhelming workload.
“Yes, I was mostly worried about the stress, but again, I talk to all my friends, so they help me out with that, and my directors are always by my side to help me figure things out. I also have my other drum major, who will take on responsibilities for me if I ever need a break,” Le said.
Even though being in two very involved activities can come with its challenges, Le really steps up to the plate. She handles it all with resilience and determination—not only staying committed but also doing her best in everything she does. She inspires others to believe they can take on big challenges too.
“Staying committed to both is honestly something I’ve always wanted to do because when I’m wearing my dance uniform on that podium, it kind of shows other people—and even our middle schoolers—that they can do more than one thing, and it’s honestly so sweet,” Le said. “I’ve been seeing more dancers coming up to me in marching band saying, ‘I’m going to do this when I’m in high school,’ so it’s a lot about inspiring others.”
