The last whistle as the game ends, the final bow during your last performance performance or the final note in a song you’ve performed hundreds of times.  Senior Jesus Molina may be ending the final chapter of his high school career, but he has promising plans ahead for the next chapter in his life.

Molina will be graduating this year alongside the class of 2023. He was involved in band and theatre, and plans on studying biology at Texas State University.

“In fifth grade, I did a tour of my middle school [Running Brushy],” Molina said. “I saw the middle school band play the Jurassic Park theme song. I saw that and instantly thought, ‘man, I would love to be a part of that.’ During the audition process, I fell in love with playing the drums. That’s where I got my start.”

Molina said that band has “made him a better person.”

“[Band] introduced music into my life and [created] my love for music, [as well as] my love for the arts,” Molina said. “I don’t think I’d be where I am today, or be the person that I am today without band. [It] introduced me to the world of music creation and music production. ”

Molina joined theatre his senior year after auditioning for the school musical “Mamma Mia!” where he played Bill, one of Sophie’s three potential dads.

“I had always looked up to theatre productions,” Molina said. “I always had a love for musicals and a love for acting, especially in film, and I wanted to dip my toes in the water of that specific field [and explore what I can do.] [It was also] that fear of not doing what I could have done, and leaving [high school] feeling unsatisfied. As soon as I did [Mamma Mia!], it was so much fun. I would 100% go back and do it for all four years if I could.”

Molina said doing theatre made him learn a lot about what he loves doing.

“[It taught me] how much I really love fine arts and how much I love being a part of creating something that’s good,” Molina said. “I’ve made a group of friends that I will forever be grateful for – they’re some of the best people I’ve ever met, and they’ll always have a special place in my heart. I will always thank the theatre department for introducing me to them.”

Despite doing fine arts all four years of high school, Molina doesn’t plan on pursuing it.

“As much as I love doing music, and as much as I love being a part of fine arts, I wouldn’t necessarily want to do it as a career,” Molina said. “I want to keep that as far away from work as possible, because if I turn music or theatre into work, I’m afraid that at some point I would end up resenting it. I want it to be as fun as possible because that’s what I love doing.”

Molina instead plans on studying biology.

“[I plan to go to] Texas State,” Molina said. “It has a good medical program and a good physical therapy program. It’s close and a good school, a lot of my friends are going to Texas State [as well]. So I figured, ‘why not apply?’”

Molina’s advice to freshmen is to “enjoy high school while you can.”

“[High school is] going to go by so quickly,” Molina said. “Do everything you can and everything you want to do. High school is a place where you can really expand your knowledge and your field. Anything that you’ve always wanted to try, go for it! Maybe you’ll enjoy it, maybe you won’t, who knows? Try for the basketball team, try for the musical, try for the band – explore whatever possibilities you have, because you never know. I’ve always had so many options that I never took advantage of, or that I took advantage of too late. Be yourself and explore who you think you want to be.”