Marley Bain

Marley Bain – Montana
Nomination & Photography by TBarnes Photography
Issue 86 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
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Nomination: Marley Bain is a senior at Flathead High School, committed to academic achievements and dedication to helping others. With a 4.0 GPA and class rank of 1 out of 290, she excels in both academics and athletics, earning varsity letters in both cross country and track. Beyond her personal accomplishments, Marley demonstrates strong leadership as a cross country co-team captain, executive leader in Brave Mentoring, and a key participant in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Her volunteer work shows her commitment to making a positive impact. Marley’s integrity, perseverance, and passion for service make her a true role model.

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Photography by TBarnes Photography
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What do you love most about learning? What excites you?
What I love most about learning is the experience I get from it. I am continuously making mistakes which is what causes you to learn. This applies to all aspects of life as a person has to make mistakes in order to grow. What excites me are the various opportunities to learn that I encounter every day. From the lessons I learn in class about math, to the lessons I learn from my friends, family, and the experiences I go through.

How do you balance everything and still rank 1 in your class?
There is a lot of struggle when it comes to balancing everything going on in my life and maintaining my gpa. I balance it all by thinking of what my priorities are. My top priorities include my spiritual life, my family, and my friends because they are all huge influences that got me to where I am today. School, athletics, and clubs is what comes next because my education is very important and valuable to me, staying in shape and finding an activity that I enjoy and am passionate about.

What are your roles and responsibilities as co-team captain?
My roles and responsibilities include helping lead the team in general. I helped with leading the runs, warmups, and cool down runs with the other captains. We would help encourage the team and would teach the underclassman what to do as athletes on the cross country team. I would try to connect with as many people as I could so that the cross country team felt like a bonded team and so that it was a positive experience for everyone.

How would you describe your leadership style?
My leadership style is more of the affiliative leadership style. This is the leadership style that focuses more on the connection of the group, and relationships within the group more than the objective. I believe that for a team or group to work well together and get a job done they need to have that personal connection and grow as a team first. I believe that personal relationships are very important in every aspect in life, and that is what creates that positive environment that everyone should have.

What is Brave Mentoring and why is it important to you?
Brave Mentoring is a program where upperclassmen help integrate incoming freshmen into high school. The transition can be very hard, but this program is to help with that. It gives freshman resources so they can have someone to talk to, as well as advice to help them have a good high school experience. It’s important to me because I want to help as many people as I can to have a positive experience in high school. Also I believe that everyone should have someone they can talk to if they are going through something, and this program provides that connection.

What is a favorite memory with Fellowship of Christian Athletes?
My favorite memory with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes program was going to their summer camp in Idaho my 8th grade year with my best friend. When we went, our phones were taken away for the whole week. I was so nervous but ended up growing so much in my faith, created new friendships, played the sport I loved every day while learning something from it, and every night we would have worship nights with a sermon afterwards. It was truly so moving and I grew so much in my faith through it.

Tell us about one of your volunteer experiences.
My favorite volunteering experience was when I volunteered at Fair-Mont Egan School. I helped Ms. Pettit and her 5th grade class at the time. There wasn’t one time I went to volunteer and didn’t want to be there. The kids were all so kind and I got to see my little cousin because she was in that class. I would help all the students learn how to write paragraphs, grade their work, help them in whatever ways needed, and get to play with them outside. I volunteered with two of my friends here and it was a completely positive experience.

What inspiring things about you does your nomination not cover?
My sophomore year, I didn’t make the volleyball team, this was very hard for me and took me a while to adjust. I knew that there was another path planned for me, I just had to figure it out. Running had never been my favorite activity, but after being asked to join the cross country team, I decided I at least had to give it a shot. After a lot of hard work and perseverance I was an alternate for state, and my junior and senior year I raced varsity and competed at state as well.

What is your favorite accomplishment with running?
My favorite accomplishment with running is making varsity my Junior and Senior year. I’m not going to lie, running JV was a lot of fun my sophomore year and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience, but being on varsity truly pushed me to do my absolute best. Cross country not only built me as an athlete, but it built me as a person. I wouldn’t choose a different path for me, even if it wasn’t the one I planned on.
If you could run any marathon anywhere in the world, which one would it be and why?
If I were to run any marathon in the world I would choose the Honolulu Marathon because I absolutely love the beach and Hawaii, and have been wanting an excuse to go there anyways. But if I’m being completely honest, I would run wherever as long as I had my Coach Rumsey there with me. She is such an amazing coach, and I know I could run whatever distance if she were the one there pushing, encouraging, and supporting me through it. I am so grateful that she got me into the sport in the first place.

What else would you like to talk about?
If I could talk about anything else it would be the support I've received to get me where I am. My parents and sisters have supported me in everything I do. My cross country coaches have been there for me, supported me, encouraged me, and pushed me to do my very best in every aspect of life. Without them I wouldn't be where I am at right now.

What have you learned from your coaches that you hope to pass down to younger runners?
What I have learned from my coaches that I would like to pass down is that it’s not just the fastest runners that are important. Every single runner has a role on the team, and is running their own race, but we’re all there to support each other because it is equally hard for everyone. I’ve learned the importance of a team, that support and encouragement from one another is what pushes us to do our best and finish that race no matter how hard because we are all going through the same conditions and facing our own battles.

What do you feel passionate about or could talk about forever?
Something I could talk about forever is my siblings. I have 4 younger siblings, who mean everything to me. 2 of them are currently in high school with me and I don't know what I would do without them. My youngest sister who is 6 and my brother who is about 8 months are truly the sweetest things. Without my siblings my life would be completely different, they helped build me into who I am and I hope to continue to build so many good memories and be a part of each other's lives.

What is a favorite family tradition you hope never ends?
My favorite family tradition I hope never ends is our big family getting together on Christmas. We all go to my Grandma's house and have our cousin's gift exchange, family dinner, family games, and a lot more. This day brings so much joy to me and my family, it’s a time that all of us get to be together which doesn’t happen a lot during the school year. It is always such a great experience being able to spend that time with my cousins and family. So many memories come from that singular day, and I love it so much.

What do you like to do with your siblings?
The last couple years, my sisters Anna and Madilyn and I have been doing photoshoots, and have such a great time with each other doing whatever we end up doing. With my little sister Evelyn, she and I have had movie nights and sleepovers together which are always very fun. With my brother Luke, he is not even 1 yet, so I just enjoy taking care of him and finding ways to make him laugh. Anytime I’m doing things with my siblings I realize I have these built in best friends that I couldn’t be more grateful for.

How did you find your photographer? What was your experience like? What did you love most?
I found my photographer through past seniors and friends who had decided to have her be their photographer. It was a very positive and fun experience for me. Mrs. Barnes was able to make me feel comfortable and have a good time even when I felt pretty nervous and awkward. I loved how she was able to get me to laugh and smile genuinely throughout the session. The way she was so invested in getting the right shot and her excitement to try new things, it made me feel excited like you’re supposed to while taking senior photos.

Why do you want to be in Inspiring Teens Magazine?
I would want to be in the inspiring teens magazine because it allows me to get scholarships to help me in the future for college. Also because the whole thing seems like it could be a cool experience.

What is a favorite memory with or thoughts of the person who nominated you?
My favorite memory with Mrs. Tara Barnes was the senior shoot, as it was the only time I had spent with her. But just in that short time she was truly a kind, caring, and sweet person in general. She knew just how to make me feel excited and calm during the session, and was such a hype woman. She hyped me up and just made the whole experience such a memorable and positive one. I'm so grateful for the experience I got and couldn't have asked for a better one.

If you had nothing to do and all day to do it, where would we find you?
If I had nothing to do all day and all day to do it, you could find me on a vacation somewhere tropical with my friends. I love places where it’s sunny and warm, with a beach, and having my friends there would just make the experience even better. Whenever I’m with them I have the greatest time, and being somewhere that I would love to be would be just a great experience, and one filled with so many memories.

What is up next for you that you are super excited about?
Up next for me that I’m super excited about is graduating. This year I am graduating and although it is going to be hard to let go of this part of my life, I’m excited to step into the next part. I’m not exactly sure what life I am going to be living after high school but I’m excited to find out. I am planning on going to college which I think will be a great experience overall, and after that, I am not sure, but I’m very excited to see what the future holds.

Look for Marley in issue 86 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!
*Interviews are not edited after received from our inspiring teens - what you read is who they genuinely are!

click here for more information on issue 86

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