Kellie Dallmeyer

Name: Kellie Dallmeyer

Parents: Kurt and Jan Dallmeyer

GPA: 4.0

Class Rank: 1

Co-curricular activities: Softball, National Honor Society, Business Professionals for America, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Junior Optimist International Club, Silver Cord, Washington Hustlers 4-H Club (past treasurer, current vice president.)

Community activities: Through 4-H: Valentines for Veterans, adopt a family for Christmas, tie blanket making for nursing homes, YMCA Christmas Bazaar. I am also a YMCA front desk employee.

Future plans and goals: This fall I will be attending the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., to double major in exercise science an health promotion while playing Division I softball. Then I plan on getting my master’s degree with hopes of becoming an athletic trainer or strength coach for a collegiate or professional sports team.

How will your high school experiences help you in coming years?

My high school experiences will help me in coming years by being prepared for the challenging times. Throughout high school, one thing I have learned is to fight. Fight to get those good grades and fight to get that starting spot. Even when times are difficult, giving up is never the right option. There is always something more you can do to get 1 percent better that day.

Fondest memory of high school?

My fondest memories of high school were spent at various sporting events. Whether it was cheering on my classmates in the student section, playing the sport I love with my friends or doing Demon jacks after a Demon victory, I could usually be found with a smile on my face. These are the memories that I will cherish forever with my classmates.

Which teachers have had the biggest impact on your educational and why?

One teacher who has impacted my education is my fifth-grade teacher at St. James, Nicole Bruty, Mrs. Bruty taught me so much in all subjects. She made class fun, and we got to do so many hands-on activities. Other teachers who have impacted my education would be Mr. and Mrs. Miller at the middle school who taught me valuable life lessons in FCS and heath class; Mr. Wieland who helped me understand a foreign language; Mr. Peterson who was patient with me in math class and who had funny daily bumper stickers; and Mr. Caulk who challenged me to retain information by studying and writing college-level essays.

Who is your role model and how did they influence you?

Nathan Miller. Nathan and I have been working together for seven years. From Day 1, he has pushed me, believed in me and instilled confidence in not only my softball skills but other aspects of life. He has taught me how to work hard and not give up even when adversity arises. I cannot thank him enough for all he has done for me.

What is special about your high school?

One thing about Washington High School is the opportunity for students to earn dual credit through Kirkwood Community College. For me personally, I will graduate with 48 college credits because of this opportunity. This allowed me to save a lot of money on college courses, which will benefit me greatly over the next four years.

If you could go back to when you were a freshman, what advice would you give yourself?

If I could go back to when I was a freshman, the advice I would give myself would be to live in the present and take more risks. Sometimes I feel kids my age get too caught up on social media and on their phones that they forget to just enjoy the moment that they are in. I think it is important to take risks, explore, go on adventures and have fun because you only get four years of high school in your life, and it will fly by before you know it.