For many, Camas High School (CHS) is defined by its athletic success, for others, its academic excellence, and for a select few, its performance arts. CHS senior Olajuwon Sobomehin, however, quite possibly defines the school best. An AP student, wrestler, and children’s performer, Sobomehin truly embodies the spirit of Camas High. 

Even faced with late-night study sessions, early-morning workouts, season-threatening injuries, and senioritis, Olajuwon Sobomehin demonstrates his impressive dedication and determination as he balances his interests. This balance, however, is no easy feat. Sobomehin often struggles to give equal attention to every aspect of his life and acknowledges the immense difficulty of trying to keep everything in check. 

“Man, it’s hard. Sometimes something’s gotta give… you’re never gonna be able to give 100% to every single one of them, so… something’s going to take priority,” said Sobomehin.

Sobomehin’s successful balance of sports, school, and life is made even more impressive by the fact that he suffered an injury mere months ago, resulting in a major loss of motivation as a result. However, he shows what makes him such a good student by giving a somewhat positive outlook on the situation; reflecting on wrestling’s ability to always make him come back.

“During the season, I got injured… right before districts, which kinda brought my motivation down really low, but each time I feel like I’ve… always been committed. Wrestling has always been the thing that I’ve loved to do, and so it’s pretty easy for me to commit to it,” said Sobomehin.

This injury also forced Sobomehin to confront his fears; look failure in the eye, and attempt to learn from the experience. Where many would give up, sit down, or go home, Sobomehin stood tall. Confronting his failures with great strength, he took the situation as an opportunity to overcome these fears and embrace the strongest part of his personality: his raw determination.  

“Wrestling is one of those sports where failure is a thing that you’re faced with constantly… you have to understand that failure is something that you’re encountering all the time, so… it’s taught me to embrace failure and not be afraid of it,” said Sobomehin.

While standing on his own as an impressive student and athlete, Sobomehin makes sure to emphasize the importance of family in overcoming these kinds of challenges, frequently touching base with his family members about his educational, athletic, and mental status.

“It’s very important to check in on yourself. I do that with my family like once a week to talk about things that I’m doing this week, things I’m learning, what am I moving towards for the following week,” said Sobomehin.

Luckily, Sobomehin’s life does not revolve around just academic and athletic challenges. Like many students, he works a job whenever he can. Unlike many students, however, he works quite an unconventional job: Olajuwon Sobomehin plays a variety of superheroes and movie characters, such as Spider-Man, as a children’s performer at kids’ birthday parties. 

“Playing a character is something that I always really like. …a lot of kids come and they love to see their favorite superhero… prince or princess… and so it’s really cool to see them really have that imagination come to life- it’s actually a really cool experience to see,” said Sobomehin.

Although Sobomehin has been faced with various challenges this year, he’s slightly bittersweet about his upcoming exit from CHS. Excited to escape senioritis, yet nervous about new responsibilities, his feelings on the matter are surely relatable to many in this year’s graduating class.

“I’m excited and scared… I’m really excited… because senioritis has hit me kinda bad… but at the same time… it’s kinda scary to go live on my own,” said Sobomehin.

Olajuwon Sobomehin represents the type of student and person, every Papermaker should strive to be. Dedicated, hardworking, introspective, brave, and kind, his presence will surely be remembered by many at CHS, and his legacy will not be forgotten.