SACO — Arianna Libby is an example of determination and resilience.

The 17-year-old Saco teenager is bubbly and smart, the captain of the cheerleading team and an honor roll student. She’s excited, like many of her peers, to be graduating high school this Sunday and is looking forward to working this summer again as a waitress at Joseph’s by the Sea, where, given her friendly personality and cheerful enthusiasm, she’s undoubtedly a success.

On the cusp of adulthood, the future looks bright for Libby. However, there was a time when she faced some uncertainty.

In May of her freshman year, Libby was struck in the head by a lacrosse stick during a game. What she thought at first was just a really bad headache turned out to be a concussion that impaired her learning and memory for several months.

“It took me out of everything until January of sophomore year,”she said.

After her diagnosis, Libby was instructed to rest in a dark room and avoid light.

“I was basically in pitch black for three weeks,” said Libby

That summer it was thought that her symptoms had cleared, but when she couldn’t remember a page of a book moments after reading it, she knew she was not recovered.

Libby went to school her sophomore year, and though she didn’t get graded, she kept up the practice of daily school activities, and was cleared for school in January.

“Junior year I had to relearn everything from sophomore year,” she said.

Libby is thankful for her teachers who sat down with her before and after school her junior year to make sure she had the background knowledge needed for her classes. She is also thankful for her guidance counselor, Lucretia Wallace, who helped develop a plan for her when she went back to school after the concussion and always gave her encouragement.

She said there were times when she was frustrated when she couldn’t remember something she just read or when headaches made it difficult to concentrate, however, she persevered.

“My family and friends helped me get out of a rut and not dwell on it,” she said. “It happened but it helped me become a better person. I’m more driven now.”

Though Libby has been able to maintain a normal academic schedule as well as extracurricular activities, she has noticed some lingering effects of the concussion.

She said prior to her concussion, she could quickly look at a list of vocabulary words and know them for a test, while now she has to study the same list to be prepared. She also at times finds herself second guessing herself and doing a task a second time to make sure she’s done it right.

Though Libby is no longer involved in lacrosse, she is very active in her school. In addition to cheerleading, Libby has been involved with seven clubs. She was her class treasurer and a member of Interact, Model United Nations and Student Council. As president of the Ribbon Club, she helped organize a powder puff football game to benefit the Maine Cancer Foundation and donated candy canes with inspirational messages to a local chemotherapy center.

Libby plans to attend Providence College in the fall and is thinking of going to medical school and pursuing a career in oncology.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.