In the bustling halls of Paso Robles High School, one name stands out among the crowd: Elie Chavez. Always with a smile on her face, she glides through campus with a never ending to-do list that lingers in her backpack. Forced to take it out during every class, Chavez is prepared for a busy week of academic pursuits. As the current ASB president Chavez’s journey is an inspiring testament to hard work and dedication.
Chavez has been in Leadership for four years. She started her leadership role as the director of Campus Climate and Culture before being elected by the PRHS student body as ASB President her senior year. In her position as president Chavez directs the Leadership class, oversees events, plans community fundraising, and participates in chair meetings with the board of trustees. She was a Link Crew leader her junior and senior year. Her leadership extends beyond the walls of PRHS, as she serves as the Student Board Trustee at Tuesday board meetings. She represents PRHS students to ensure the trustees are aware of what students need to obtain a quality education in a safe and welcoming environment.
Chavez shone as a tri-sport athlete: she excelled on the varsity softball infield as shortstop for four years; she was the DS and Libero on volleyball for two years; she guarded the goal in varsity soccer for one year. She holds the title of captain for both volleyball and softball in her senior year.
She has won Lions Club Awards every year of high school: two for volleyball and one for softball. She was named All League for softball during freshman, sophomore, and junior years. Soccer named her MVP Goalkeeper of the Year and 2024 All League.
Along with those accolades, Chavez was awarded 2nd Team All-League in 2021, First Team All-League in 2022, Mountain League Champion 2022, PRHS softball Defensive player of the year, All Spring Team, and Scholar Athlete during her time on Varsity Softball.
With the pressure of sports, Chavez also holds an academic GPA of 4.8 weighted, with a total of 16 honor and AP classes under her belt. Top ones including, AP Physics 1 and 2, AP Chemistry, AB Calculus,
As college looms on the horizon, Chavez will be attending the University of San Diego, where she is majoring in mechanical engineering, a field traditionally dominated by men; where only 13.6% of mechanical engineers are female and 86.4% are male. But Chavez is eager to break barriers and be a woman in STEM.
“Ultimately, I want to work for NASA and be a part of building propulsion systems for satellites in space,” Chavez said.
But Chavez’s journey hasn’t been without sacrifice. Balancing her academic pursuits, extracurricular activities, and social life has required her to make tough choices along the way.
“I’ve sacrificed a lot,” Chavez said. “I sacrifice a lot of my social life, where I have to tell my friends I can’t go out because I have to study or I have a game. I haven’t had a summer for the past 10 years, because I’ve been playing travel softball. But, that’s just my work ethic, and it has helped me a lot. I don’t regret any of it. It’s part of who I am, and I’ve learned a lot of lessons.”
Chavez is not just a high school student: she’s a force to be reckoned with. Her dedication to excellence, and her passion for leadership, sets her apart as a true role model for her peers. ASB president was just the beginning of her leadership prowess that will also launch in the future.
