Tammy Gallardo is taking care of business on the court and in the classroom.

The 17-year-old Bob Hope junior is a budding tennis star and an academic scholar.

“I started playing tennis my freshman year,” she said. “I’m on varsity now and it is one of my favorite things to do. My dad, Roberto, use to play tennis so he inspired me to play, too.”

Gallardo is also a part of TAME, the Texas Allegiance for Minorities in Engineering, which she joined this year.

“It’s STEM programs mainly geared towards minorities,” she said. “We practice a lot with science and math. (Last week) we had a meeting where we had to build a blip, make it stay in place and fly it in a straight line. It’s really about challenging yourself to think outside the box and test your knowledge in all the STEM categories.”

The Port Arthur native is also an A-honor roll student and second in her class.

“Education is important to me,” Gallardo said. “If I want to get far, I have to stick to my plans and do well in school.”

Gallardo said her favorite subjects in school are math and art, two concepts she hopes to bridge together for her future career as an architect.

“I like math and science,” she said. “I like solving problems, knowing the concepts and figuring everything out. I also really love art. I have loved it since I was small and I just want to create. Architecture is both of those in one.”

In addition to studying architecture, Gallardo also wants to minor in culinary arts.

“I love baking,” she said. “I like cake boss and all those shows. I think it would be fun to do. I’m practicing baking a lot to make sure it’s something I really want to do.”

As she looks to her future, Gallardo said she is reminded of the strong women who came before her and her role model in life.

“My role model is my mom, Claudia,” she said. “I really look up to her because she has worked so hard to get me where I am and raise me right. I look up to her and her strength.”

Gallardo plans on applying to Rice University in Fall 2020. Before graduating high school, she wants to save up for a car and travel out of the country.

“I just want to live my life to the fullest,” she said.