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Incoming Nederland senior Maurielle Vargas likes checklists.

She admits she does not manage time well and the lists are a way to help improve that area of her life. From the outside looking in, Vargas is excellent at managing her time.

She has already won multiple pageants, most recently Miss Southeast Texas. She has works at The Pompano, which will be one of her two jobs once school starts next month. She is on track to join the Army National Guard, which she hopes to eventually lead her to a role with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

That is a lot of boxes to check, but Vargas already has a clear path to her goals.

August will be a busy month . She starts her training for her job at the Neches Federal Credit Union branch inside Nederland High School. The training actually starts a day before teachers report back to campus. She will also swear in for the National Guard.

She will be classified as delayed entry, which will allow her to go to college, before she has to start basic training.

“It is a blessing because they will pay for my college, and then I will get to go into basic training and have my job,” she said. “Hopefully with the training, I will be in intelligence. I want to go to college at UT-Austin. That is my dream school. I want to get my degree in international relations. The end goal is to work for the FBI.”

Vargas said her love of crime documentaries and stories sparked her passion.

“I am not a medical person, but I have always wanted to help people,” she said. “Most people who want to help and make a difference join the medical field. This is something where I can help and make a difference because I am not a blood-and-guts person. It is just not in me.”

Vargas has participated in numerous pageants since she was young, but decided to try some after the pandemic. She ended up walking away with the top title in the Miss Beaumont and Miss Southeast Texas competitions.

She said participating in pageants helps her develop skills she has used in her personal life.

“It has helped my interviewing skills,” she said. “For both of my jobs, it was easier because I have been talking to a lot of people just doing pageants.”

On top of all of the academic and career endeavors, Vargas will once again suit up for Nederland Bulldogs soccer. She loves the sport and added it helps her bond with her sisters.

Vargas said her busy schedule forces her to better manage her time. She also said her mom helps her by sending weekly schedules, which Vargas breaks down into daily notes and checks them off as she completes a task.

“It is a lot of lists, and it takes a lot of planning to get the list in line,” she said. “I am trying to find better ways to manage it all. It is a lot at one time.”

With many of her goals already accomplished or in progress, it seems inevitable Vargas will continue to add more checks to her list in the near future.