How A 16-Year-Old Competitive Archer Is Juggling It All

Plus: My favorite tracks from T-Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department"

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Bloomer in the Spotlight 🌼

Meet Amethyst, a competitive archer, skincare enthusiast, and avid consumer of K-dramas.

Between juggling archery competitions (no, it’s not like The Hunger Games), co-leading her school’s Fashion Club, and studying for AP exams, the 16-year-old from Northern Virginia is busy. Fortunately for us, Amethyst managed to squeeze us into her schedule to chat about her pre-competition rituals, the reason why she never repeats an outfit, her can’t-live-without facial cleanser, and more. 

How’s junior year going? 

At the beginning of junior year, I was so excited. I was finally locked into school and became more academically focused. I feel like in previous years, I've just been kind of having fun and doing whatever in high school. But junior year I realized, oh my gosh, I need to focus. Now the APs are hitting me. I have like five AP tests in two weeks and I'm stressing.

How are you managing the stress? 

Honestly, I just have to deal with it. I just have to do it. So I try my best with my schoolwork, and I try my best to study. But I’m also trying to make sure I don't lose my mind, so I distract myself with extracurriculars.

My main extracurricular is archery. I’m in the Junior Olympic Archery Development program. I’ve been doing archery since I was in fifth grade and lately I’ve been doing really big competitions like Team USA. It’s super-duper fun, but it's really, really time consuming. With AP test prep happening, I've barely been able to practice.

I’m also Fashion Club co-president with one of my friends. We want to teach sustainability and host an environment for people who want to be involved in fashion.

How did you get into archery? 

When I was in first grade, my mom was like, hey, you should pick a sport; maybe pick an instrument. My parents were pushing me to be successful and they wanted me to just do things other than school at a really young age. I was like, Oh my gosh, I don't know what to do. I was like, I want to do gymnastics or dance. And my parents just were like, you're a really, really clumsy person. And so they just were not okay with the idea of me standing on bars and stuff, especially since I was a little kid who had a medically prescribed helmet because I fell on everything. 

Then I watched The Hunger Games and Brave in third grade and I was like, huh, what if I just do archery? It was literally a joke over dinner. The next week, I had archery lessons and ever since, I’ve just stuck with it. I started with a recurve bare bow and then I started getting lessons from a certified coach in fifth grade. I started competing in freshman year of high school.

That’s so cool. Like probably a lot of people, when I think about archery, my mind immediately goes to Katniss from The Hunger Games. What are some misconceptions about archery that you’d like to debunk? 

Oh my god. I don't know if they're joking, but I've gotten this so many times. It's honestly concerning. People are like, wow, so you seem really good at archery because you survive tournaments. I’m like, what do you mean by “survive” a tournament? They’re like, you guys don't shoot each other, like “The Hunger Games”? Like, obviously not. There are safety protocols and we’re super-duper safe. That's the biggest crazy, and really, most outlandish, thing I've ever heard about archery. 

Do you have any rituals or things you do to get hyped up or in the zone before a competition? 

Yeah, it’s kind of embarrassing, but I listen to a lot of 2000s — think like Katy Perry – music. Like really white girl music because it's really upbeat while getting ready. 

One of the main slogans of a major archery brand is “Winning Action; Winning Spirit.” So sometimes I tell myself, “I can put in action and win in spirit” to hype myself up into making sure I'm in the right mindset to shoot. That's one of the greatest challenges I have with archery: my mindset. It's just so hard to overcome. 

It seems like so much of archery is being in the right headspace. 

My coach always talks about the difference between first place and 15th place isn't necessarily someone's form. It's having confidence in yourself. Because really, when you're on a shooting line and you're about to shoot your arrows, it's more about consistency and patience with yourself so that you can get over one arrow and shoot the next. 

It’s also funny because ever since I started archery, that's how I approach a lot of other things in life.

It’s such a metaphor for life. You mentioned you’re co-president of the Fashion Club at your school. Is fashion a big part of your life? 

Yeah. I feel like ever since I was little, I'd beg my mom and be like, Mama, please let me pick my outfit today. Ever since I was little, I had a personal style, and it was tights, skirts, cute shirts, and ballet flats. Even when I was 10 years-old, I'd be picking out little Mary Janes to walk around in fifth grade. 

In middle school, fashion was still a big part of me, but I wanted to conform to other girls. I was like, Oh my god, they're so cool. I have to be like them. I lost myself and also lost my sense of personal style. So it was like a really big deal for me coming out of quarantine. I was a freshman and it was the first year back in-person at school. That’s when I told myself, I'm not going to repeat an outfit. I'm not going to try and dress like other people. [I figured] not repeating outfits would help me find my own style and individuality. 

Even though it can seem like consumerism, I don’t buy clothes every week. A lot of my clothes are hand-me-downs or my mom’s clothes that she saved from her twenties in the Philippines or my older sister’s clothes from when she was in high school. I’ve bought maybe 10 percent of my clothes in the past few years. Fashion really helps me to express myself. 

What are three words you’d use to describe your personal style? 

That’s so hard. I guess girly, classy, and sassy. 

What do you and your friends like to do for fun on the weekends or after school? 

A lot of my close friends and I are in the same clubs. One of my friends has a criminal justice club, so we all go to her meetings and we hang out there. And then we also all joined the National Honor Society together so that we can volunteer and hang out together at NHS meetings. We’ll just hang out and go to local places like cafes or bake at one of our houses.

You had mentioned Katy Perry earlier, but what other musical artists are you into right now? 

I’ve been listening to so much Sabrina Carpenter and also Lee Hyori’s “10 Minutes” with that 2000s makeup trend. I like a lot of music I find on TikTok, which is kind of embarrassing to admit, but it’s popular for a reason. 

I’ve also been listening to a lot of Laufey because I’m going to a concert this Friday, so I’m trying to remember all her songs before [I go]. 

I awkwardly listen to a lot of historical podcasts because that’s the way I like to study. It’s honestly not a very good study method, but if I don’t want to listen to music, that’s what I’ll listen to. I was listening to Wiser World on Spotify over winter break about Ukraine and Russia; there was [also an episode] about Palestine. 

What TV shows are you watching? 

I’ve been watching Gossip Girl and honestly, I’ve been getting really bored. It’s always the same thing: Someone gets with someone else, someone has drama, then someone commits fraud. It’s just so repetitive and there’s no plot. 

I haven't really had that much time to watch shows, but I've been watching a lot of K-dramas. I feel like they’re most well-rounded in entertainment and the length of time it takes to watch the entire show. It's just so nice to have everything done in a season. I watch a lot of romantic K-dramas. The last one I watched was Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. It was so cute.

What are your most-used apps? 

On my iPad, the app I use the most is GoodNotes, which makes sense because I’m always taking notes. On my phone, my most used app is Instagram. TikTok is a close second. 

What's your can't-live-without skincare or makeup product?

Oh my god. I want to be a dermatologist so skin is so important to me. I used to have really bad acne and eczema, so skin is such a priority for me. My one can't-live-without skincare routine thing is the hydrating CeraVe cleanser; the non-foaming kind because the foaming kind of gets in your eyes and hurts. It’s good for makeup removal, too. Some cleansers just don’t remove makeup like this one does. 

There’s also the Cetaphil moisturizing cream. It’s really thick, and it's also really cheap. You can use it on your face and body. My favorite sunscreen got discontinued so I had to buy this other one, but it's literally so worth the money. It's EltaMD UV Clear protection. 

What about makeup products? 

So I freak out if I don't use this on my makeup, even if I have my serum, moisturizer, and the sunscreen: the e.l.f. Acne Fighting Putty Primer. My skin just can't handle makeup directly on it so the primer is literally essential for me. 

What’s your most-used emoji? 

My emojis vary every single day, I swear. But right now it's the crying emoji. 

What’s something that's bringing you joy right now?

My cat is bringing me joy. She's so sweet. She can do “sit” and high-fives. She's just so entertaining and fun to take care of.

What’s her name? 

Her legal name is Turquoise. I was supposed to adopt a ragdoll cat in 2020, but then we went to the shelter and I found Turkey. She's just like a domestic shorthair, leopard-kind of looking cat. I kept the name Turquoise for her, but her nickname is Turkey because it's so much more fitting with her personality.

Who’s your celebrity crush? 

I don't really think I have a celebrity crush. I have been stalking Lily Chee recently, though — not in a celebrity crush way but like Oh, she's literally Blair Waldorf way. It’s a Wow, I just want her lifestyle way. She's also a full-time student at an Ivy League university. Like, how is that possible?

What’s something you’re looking forward to this year? 

My sister's wedding in June.

Are you in the wedding? 

Of course. I'm one of her junior bridesmaids. All my family from the Philippines are gonna come. It's gonna be so fun. It's gonna be like half reunion, half wedding. 

Last question: If you could book a plane ticket and go anywhere in the world, where would you go? 

I would go with my best friend somewhere in Asia. We’d eat so much food and experience things like swimming in the different beaches or go diving in the Philippines. We’d go to Korea and try their street food. 

And get all the skincare products.

Oh, yeah. Their cushion foundations would be so much cheaper there. I’d get a color analysis and we’d get facials together. It'd be so fun.

Beyond the Algorithm 🔮

In which Amethyst shares a few of her favorite things: 

1. Mini skirts. They pair perfectly with anything and are just so deliciously adorable. It’s perfect with the weather right now, and it’s even cuter in the winter with fun tights. If I had time to grab one thing from my closet, it’d probably be the first skirt I can find.

2. Making espresso with steamed hazelnut creamer and whole milk. I’ve been making this every morning for the past month because it’s just so good. It’s so deliciously smooth. I think I’ve become a coffee snob.

3. Hyaluronic acid serum. My skin effortlessly glows because of this serum that my dermatologist makes. I use a few drops every morning, and it makes me feel so luxe and dewy. It miraculously makes my makeup look even better.

4. Strappy Mary Janes. I wore these every single day for a month straight when I first got them. I feel so delicate, and the straps add so much character! I love them. I bought my pair from a department store in the Philippines but it’s literally the perfect Carel Paris dupe.

5. Lip gloss. I cannot live without lip gloss. My lips are always chapped. It’s disgusting and I was fed up with using Aquaphor. I still love it, but how could I resist a glittery, colored just slayer version of it anyway? I especially love Saie lip gloss and Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. 

tysm, Amethyst! 🌼

In the meantime…

Here are some things I have recently bought and/or consumed: 

1. Jones Road perfume. My mom gave this perfume to me, which smells like you just got out of the shower. It’s fresh, light, and perfect for summer. 

2. Sally Hansen Repair + Rescue Super Strength Defense. I have completely destroyed my nail beds after too many consecutive gel manicures. To help strengthen them, I’ve been giving my nails a break from the salon and instead, applying this nail repair polish. Not only am I saving money, but I’m pleasantly surprised by the results. 

3. The Tortured Poets Department. Is it my favorite T-Swift album? Nah. But have I been listening to it non-stop? You betcha. Favorite tracks include: “Fresh Out the Slammer,” “So Long, London,” “The Alchemy,” and “Guilty as Sin?” 

4. Sociopath. Growing up, Patric Gagne always knew she was different from the other kids. As she entered adulthood, those differences only became more apparent. It wasn’t until college, when she realized she had sociopathy, that she realized why. In her powerful memoir, Gagne sets out to better understand her diagnosis — one that is stereotypically associated with serial killers and fictional characters — in hopes that she can not only feel seen by the world, but that the world might better see people like her.

And here’s a song to get ya through the week: 

P.S. I wanna hear from you! 🐌

Want to nominate a friend (or yourself!) for “Bloomer in the Spotlight”? Got a brilliant recommendation for “Beyond the Algorithm” or just wanna say hey?

Get in touch at latebloomernewsletter@gmail.com 💘