Amy Achs, AP Erie Correspondent
Erie High School has four Illinois State Scholars. They are recognized for outstanding achievement based on their SAT scores and being in the top 10% of their class. I asked them to describe their future education goals, to tell a little about what they were involved in during high school, and to include what they were most proud of or what they are looking forward to after graduation. For the class of 2021 we have four distinguished young ladies. Here is what they had to say, in their own words:
Ella Heyvaert: “This fall I’ll be going to Black Hawk Community College with the Presidential Scholarship to earn my associates in nursing. Then, I’ll attend Eastern Illinois University to get my bachelors in nursing. In high school, I played basketball for four years, volleyball for four years, and track or two. I was also in the band all four years, I did NHS for three (I’m the current Secretary), took Spanish for four years, and led the Senior Mentors. After graduation, I’m looking forward to continuing working at Resthave in Morrison to work towards buying a new car. I’m excited to grow into an independent adult and start my life.”
Kaylee Stichter: “This fall, I will start pursuing my bachelor’s degree in environmental science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. I plan on minoring in Spanish or Natural Resource Management. Erie High School extracurricular activities: National Honor Society (three years), Student Council (four years), Panther Football and Basketball Dance (two years), Freshman-Senior Mentor Program (Senior year). After graduation, I am most looking forward to meeting new friends, spending time at Carroll University’s Prairie Springs Field Station, and participating in community service projects near my campus. I can’t wait to explore my new surroundings and begin my journey to becoming a scientist.”
Grace Johnson: “This fall I plan on attending Wheaton College with a major in secondary education or English with a minor in Spanish. I hope to get certified to teach English as a second language to international students by the time I leave college. During high school, I was involved in cross country for two years, pep/concert band for four years, National Honor Society for three years, Newspaper for two years, and senior mentor program for one year. I also played girls soccer at Quad City Christian School for four years and boys soccer there for two years. During my time at EHS, I am most proud of being elected National Honor Society President and getting to plan and organize service projects with a group of amazing students. After graduation, I am most looking forward to starting college and furthering my education to become an educator myself one day.”
Chloe Wiseley: “I will be attending Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. I plan on majoring in Biology and Pre-Optometry. After Augustana, I plan on transferring to Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. Throughout high school, I participated 4 years in both football and basketball cheer, 3 years in football dance, and 1 year in basketball dance. During my time at EHS, I am most proud of keeping my grades and GPA up in order to receive the Presidential Scholarship from Augustana.”
As you can see, there is a reason these girls have been so successful in high school academically as well as being involved in many extracurriculars, and it looks like they have set some big goals for their future. Best of luck to them and all the graduates of the class of 2021.
