Anna Dunlap

Parents: Marci Dunlap and Brian Dunlap

GPA: 3.986

Class rank: 3 of 108

Co-curricular activities: Volleyball, Basketball, Track and Field, Student Council, FBLA, National Honor Society, Mentoring

Community activities: Coaching at annual youth sports camps, Student Representative for the Education Foundation, and I have participated in several small volunteer projects like working middle school dances, helping an elder community member with household chores, and organizing Christmas gift exchange for less fortunate kids.

Future plans and goals: I am going to attend Iowa State University and major in both Public Relations and Graphic Design. Later on, I want to land a job in publication or social media marketing at a well-known company.

How will your high school experiences help you in the coming years? From being heavily involved in high school, I have obtained interpersonal skills that will beapplied daily in my workplace. I have learned how to be a leader and a good communicator. I trust that all of the qualities I have gained from trying out a variety of activities will take me far. Most importantly, during my time as a high school student I have discovered my strengths and weaknesses, made connections with impactful people, and revealed the aspects of life that are most important to me.

Fondest memory of high school: My fondest memory of high school was attending the state track meet my junior year. I also attended my freshman year, but my experience in 2021 was especially important to me. The success that we earned last year was a satisfying ending to a season that we put so much work into. I look back on this and remember it as a time I gave it my all and shared genuine happiness with my teammates.

Which teachers have had the biggest impact on you and why? Mrs. Graber has had a big impact on me. Aside from her being a dedicated teacher, it was her lifestyle that inspired me. I learned from her how to conjugate verbs in the preterite tense, but more prominently I learned how to keep a positive outlook on life. Mrs. Graber wanted her students to have good morals and be successful and happy. She radiated joy and it is unfortunate that it took losing her from my life for me to realize what she provided me with.

Who is your role model and how did they influence you? My sister, Jillian, is my biggest role model. She is four years older than me and has set an example for me ever since we were really young. I watched her demonstrate how to properly style a doll’s hair and later on I looked to her to see which outfits to wear in middle school. Now my sister gives me serious life advice and helps me prepare for my future. She completed high school and will graduate college with honors. A lot of my goals are based on Jillian’s success and every day I strive to be anywhere near as impactful as she is.

What is special about your high school? Fairfield High School has provided me with a memorable small town experience. Everyone knows each other, everyone supports each other, and I have been able to develop close relationships with my peers. The special thing about our school is that despite the low numbers of students and faculty, FHS has the same resources as a big school. I have been able to take college level classes, travel for club and sport events, and obtain leadership positions. All of these opportunities granted to me are things that some small town students miss out on.

If you go back to when you were a freshman, what advice would you give yourself? I would tell my freshman self to quit worrying so much. Things will fall into place; you will figure out where you want to go to college, you will meet your best friends, and you will get through the hardships. Don’t waste your time dwelling on the bad, the next four years will seriously go by so fast.