2023 Pekin senior Emma Phillips

Emma Phillips is a Pekin senior in the spotlight. She is the daughter of Shawn and Jody Phillips, and sister to Grace.

While in school she has been involved in Volleyball, Basketball, Track, Spanish Club, FFA, Student Council, Ruritan Rising Seniors, FCCLA, Quiz Bowl, Dance Team, Diversity Club, ISTEP, TAG, Individual Speech, FBLA, National Honor Society, and 4-H. She has also worked at Greiner Real Estate and Auction.

What’s your favorite school memory or what will you remember the most? I will miss being able to laugh and make memories with everyone around me.

If you could go back and change one thing, what would it be? I would get more involved in FFA during my Freshman year. FFA has given me so many opportunities in the short time I have been heavily involved in it.

Finish this sentence: “I could not live without…” My family.

What’s the best and/or worst thing about being a senior? The best thing about being a senior is being able to look forward to starting a new chapter of your life. The worst thing is parting ways with your classmates and having your sports careers end.

Which teacher or staff member has had the biggest impact on you and why? Mr. Hoffman, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Wittrock, Mrs. Goudy, Mr. Weber, and Ms. Coffin all inspire me and push me to be my best every single day. All of our staff has helped me in one way or another.

What advice do you have for incoming high school freshmen? Do as much as you can but love what you do.

What are your plans after graduation? Attend the University of Iowa for Speech-Language Pathology.

What is one outrageous thing you want to try in your lifetime? Sky diving.

If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? I would move to Palm Springs, California because I love the mountain and palm tree views.

Who has been your biggest influence in your life and why? My whole family acts as my role model, they continually motivate and support me in anything and everything I do.