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< Hall of Fame Curt Sauer Class of 1962 Inducted May 2010 Curt Sauer is a 1962 graduate of Royalton High School where he was a star in three sports. He was a member of the Royalton 1961 State Tournament Basketball team. After graduating, Curt was signed by Billy Martin who was working for the Minnesota Twins organization. Curt played five years in the Twins minor league system including stints at Orlando, FL, Nelson, NC, Wisconsin Rapids, WI and played Triple A Ball for the Minnesota Twins Denver, Colorado affiliate. Curt’s wife Peggy was also a graduate of Royalton High School. Together they have parented one of the most highly decorated athletic families in central Minnesota. Craig, their oldest son, was the 1990 Minnesota Prep Football Player of the Year before going on to star as a linebacker for the Minnesota Gophers. He began his career with the Atlanta Falcons, playing in the 1999 Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos. Craig finished his pro career with the Minnesota Vikings. Sons Kent, Curt, and Michael have all played at some level of professional hockey. Currently, Curt and Michael play for the Phoenix Coyotes and the New York Rangers, respectively. Daughter Kelly was a stand-out athlete at the College of St. Benedict. Curt enjoys hunting and fishing with his wife and family and lives in Avon, Minnesota.

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment September 2017 Student of the Month Brock Snyder Brock Snyder, son of Mary and Boyd Snyder, was named the September Student of the Month by the faculty of Royalton High School (RHS). He has 3 older brothers, Adam, Ryan and Lucas. Brock is an athlete in basketball and baseball and his basketball coach Mr. Randy Thielges says “Brock has been a 3-year starter as well as captain of the basketball team last year. While being very competitive Brock has the ability to keep his team moving forward with positive talk. Brock is also involved in different clubs, Student council, NHS, Knowledge Bowl, 4-H, FFA, Spanish Club, Drama, Royal Pride, PBA, Pep and marching band. His Royal Pride advisor Mrs. Kelcie Neumann says he was a huge part of the successful homecoming events, he went above and beyond when it came to planning, setting up, and facilitating the events. Mr. Brent Lieser, Royalton’s Athletic Director says, Brock is one of those go-to students that is involved in so many facets of the high school experience. Whether it is academics, activities or athletics, Brock is so invested in all those areas. This was evident as he was a selected as a Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) state finalist for the 2017 ExCEL award. This achievement is given to the top 36 juniors from throughout the State of Minnesota. This year Brock has stepped up and helped present at our Senior Social events. Brock put a presentation together on the events and activities of student council and Business Professionals of America. When I think all that Brock is involved in, this quote comes to mind. "If you ever want a special project, new endeavor, or simply a hand, always ask the busiest person you know." Brock is one of those busy yet dependable individuals that will always deliver!

< Hall of Fame Leo Wenner Class of 1954 Inducted May 2011 Leo Wenner graduated from Royalton High School in 1954. He began driving bus for the Royalton School District in 1959 and in 2011, 52 years later you can still find Leo behind the wheel of a school bus. To put this in perspective, a senior about to graduate from RHS in 1959 at the age of 18 would most likely be retired today and would be looking forward to their 70th Birthday in the next few years! Leo has driven our busses as a route driver and has transported many teams and activity busses over the years. The average school bus route in the Royalton District is approximately 38 miles. If you average this route twice a day for approximately 170 days per year for 52 years, the mileage adds up to almost 672,000 miles in a Royalton school bus! Leo has transported his, and his wife Joan’s, children and grandchildren as students at RHS.

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment March 2018 Student of the Month Hannah Cimenski The faculty of Royalton High School (RHS) has named Hannah Cimenski, daughter of Melanie and Gregory Cimenski the March Student of the Month. Hannah has three siblings, Bethany, Hailey and Colten. Hannah’s favorite class is anything art related, Art has always been her escape, if only for a couple of hours. She grew up with the teachers at Royalton High School being very involved with her life. So, it is hard to pick just one. If she had to choose her favorite teacher it would be Mr. Carl Halverson. Halverson has pushed her to be the best she could be and has been an inspiration for many years. Mr. Halverson gets to know every one of his students individually, not caring about their past or anything going on outside of that art room. He motivates and inspires kids to be better than what is expected of them. This is what Mr. Halverson said about Hannah. “Hannah is one of the most artistic students that I've seen in the many years I've been teaching. She's won too many awards to keep track of and has been hired to do commissioned work outside of school. Many times in high school, we tend to focus on athletic success on the field, track or court. While I agree with honoring these athletes, I see the arts in a light that goes far beyond most of these accomplishments. To put this in perspective in an artistic scenario, Hannah would be not just all-conference, all-section, or even all state. She would be competing and winning at a level in the visual arts that most high school athletes will never see. Her wall mural that will be finished this spring will be viewed and admired by many, long after the school record for "leading scorer" will be broken again and again”. Hannah has been active in many activities throughout her high school career, Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Flag Squad, FFA, Theatre, Speech, YES and Tech club. This year she has cut back on a lot of her extracurricular and decided to focus on her schooling. So for this year she is involved with Softball and Flag squad. Hannah states that it is hard to pinpoint one high school memory because they have all been a roller coaster of good times and hard times. After high school she plans to attend Saint Cloud State University to get her generals out of the way, her second year of college she wants to study abroad. After her generals are done she will enter into the Nursing program and obtain her LPN and then her RN. After college she wants to travel and work with children as much as possible. Hannah has so much planned for her life in ten years; she wants to have a steady career and perhaps a fiancé to go with that. She wants to have traveled the world and have seen all that she can before she settles down. When she is ready for the responsibility she will get married, buy a nice house, and then maybe she’ll start to think about having kids. The advice she would give to freshmen is this, “My biggest advice to the freshmen that are just starting high school is to not let the time get away from you. Bask in the glory that is high school because this will be the best and the worst times of your lives. Don’t push off your work and get lazy with your grades because, trust me, they count. Go to football games, dance at the spring fling, and hangout with your friends on the weekends. Live the best life you possibly can because it ends pretty dang fast. Don’t let stress overwhelm you; learn how to deal with it. Go to bed early and take care of your mental health before your schoolwork. Enjoy high school because, while it seems like the worst four years of your life, one day you’ll look back and miss it.”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment April 2019 Student of the Month Brooke Richards Brooke Richards, daughter of Angie and Paul Richards, has been named April Student of the Month at Royalton High School (RHS). Brooke’s favorite class is yearbook, taught by Carl Halverson. “It allows me to use my creativity to create a book with a great group of people. It is a wonderful feeling holding the book in your hands that is full of so many memories, and knowing that you helped to create it from start to finish. Mr. Halverson is a great mentor and always makes sure to point all of us in the right direction, which I am very grateful for. I would also like to give a shout out to Dawn and Mr. Hagman for always listening to me spill tea.” RHS Yearbook Advisor Carl Halverson stated, "I've been doing yearbooks for over thirty years and have had the privilege of working with many great young people. But I've never seen a Senior Editor run the show quite like Brooke did this year. There are four main benchmarks that all Senior Editors strive to hit to complete this 10-15 thousand dollar business venture. The first benchmark is good photography skills that are blended with photo-editing through photoshop, graphic design, and page layout. The second skill is writing articles as well as editing other staffer's written work to make a theme come to life. The third is selling advertising to help fund the book. Usually, a single editor might hit two of these skill sets. Brooke sold a record breaking $2000 in ad sales, designed well over 50 pages, and placed hundreds of photos throughout this year's Royal yearbook. She earned top honors from Josten's company in our state, and our Jostens rep said that he had not heard of another editor nationally who had hit these kind of top-notch parameters. And the fourth skill? She's simply one of the easiest going, nicest young people who has ever graced our staff. Our year-bookers learned so much from her that our book will surely continue our winning tradition. We will miss her smile as well as her genuine, pleasing disposition that greets us every morning as she enters the classroom the most. Best wishes to you Brooke as you enter the next step of your Graphic Arts career." Social studies teacher Jeremy Schaa added, “Brooke Richards is a quiet leader and one of the nicest students I have had the good fortune of teaching. She is a hard worker who is not afraid of taking on a task and seeing it through to completion, even when others give up.” Richards is active in Student Council, Yearbook, National Honors Society, and Spanish Club. A favorite high school memory was hanging out with her friends at prom this year. Her future plans include attending St. Cloud Technical College to earn a degree in marketing and design. Then continue on at St.Cloud State to complete her bachelor’s degree. She also plans to move to California some time after graduating college. Brooke’s advice to freshmen is, “Even though high school feels like it lasts forever, it flies by quicker than you think it will. Make sure to enjoy every moment of it and work as hard as you can. Also, don’t wait until the last minute to write your comp papers.”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment < Back September 2017 Artist of the Month Cole Scofield Cole Scofield, son of Pam and Tony Scofield has been named Royalton High School's Artist of the Month for September. Scofield, earned the honor by taking one of his favorite hobbies, and turning it into his original design project in his Art Techniques class. "Going into this class, I never thought that I would ever be in the top five, and for sure, not an Artist of the Month." said Scofield. "There are so many talented artists in this school. When Halverson described the assignment and talked about choosing a subject that means something to you, I knew what I wanted to do, almost immediately. I love the way Halverson teaches and how laid back he is. It makes the class environment alive and enjoyable. I haven't been in an art class since the eighth grade, and I thought that I would be somewhere in the middle of the class as far as my abilities were concerned. But when he talked about choosing someone or something that you love, like drawing a picture of his wife or his mother holding one of his kids, I understood what to do. My idea came from one of my favorite hobbies which is drag racing. I drag race at BIR, (Brainerd International Raceway). 2017 was my second year racing there with my '71 Chevelle. Memorial weekend and the fourth of July weekend, I took second in my bracket. I am dedicating this design project to my dad. He's been with me since the beginning, from picking out out the car to standing in the winner's circle with me." "Design is based on applying the elements and principles in a step by step process, regardless of the medium used by the artist." stated Royalton High School Art Instructor Carl Halverson. "The goal is to help every student find his or her own strength and then succeed to the best of their ability. I believe every teacher has this goal in mind regardless of the subject matter being delivered. In this case, Cole chose metal as his primary choice of medium. His passion for racing his Chevelle SS, became a personal statement from his very first sketch. The process continued, as he designed and fabricated each letter from metal and carefully placed them on the riveted, rusted steel base. And now for the most important piece of the design. He finished it off by dedicating the project to his father. Dedicated to the man responsible for not only introducing his son to an incredible journey in his life, but also there every step of the way as they shared incredible, invaluable life lessons along the road. You can't show a movie clip or just pick up that kind of learning experience from a book in any classroom. Be it paint, pencil, wood, or metal; it's not the material that determines the value of the piece when it becomes something personal."

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment January 2025 Student of the Month Wyatt Gerads In every school, there are students who stand out for their dedication, leadership, and passion. Wyatt has demonstrated these qualities throughout his high school career, embodying the values of hard work, perseverance, and kindness. Wyatt believes having a supportive family has played a crucial role in his journey. As Wyatt put it, “My family has always been there to encourage me in all decisions and guide me when needed. They have instilled in me the importance of working hard and never giving up, lessons that have shaped my character and ambitions.” Among the many subjects Wyatt has explored in high school, small engines stood out as a favorite class. “I really enjoyed learning how an engine worked and got to work with my hands. If I were to suggest this class, I would say you should have an open mind and room in your brain.” Explained Wyatt. When asked about his favorite teachers, it was impossible for Wyatt to choose just one. When pressed he came up with Mr. Skwira and Mrs. Noerenberg. “Both have been available throughout my high school career to bounce ideas off of or just being an awesome person and teacher. They have also inspired me to be just as kind and forgiving as they have been.” Extracurricular activities have played a significant role in shaping Wyatt’s high school experience. Participation in basketball, YES Club, track, FFA, and Trap has kept him engaged and active. Serving as Chairman of YES Club, he has taken the initiative to teach younger students about the environment, plant a native prairie, and organize a Christmas light recycling program. Outside of school, Wyatt has been deeply involved in Boy Scouts and volunteering with the Royalton Lions Club. Earning the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout. Wyatt described his experience in these activities this way, “I learned essential life skills such as trustworthiness, loyalty, and kindness and with the Lions Club I further enhanced my teamwork, problem-solving, and communication abilities.” Among the many cherished high school moments, one that stands out for Wyatt is winning the dodgeball game during the Homecoming Olympics. “The excitement of victory and the collective celebration with classmates created was an unforgettable experience.” When reflecting on the best activity he’s participated in, Boy Scouts takes the top spot. “Because of the group of people and leaders who made scouts truly a fun experience. Another reason I particularly enjoy scouts is because of our 7-day hiking trip to Philmont Scout Ranch.” After high school, Wyatt plans to enroll in the Machine Tool program at either Alexandria Technical College or North Dakota State College of Science. Looking ahead ten years, his vision includes owning a home, being married, and achieving financial stability with little to no debt. His ultimate goal is to be debt-free by 40 and to live life to the fullest. When asked about a piece of advice to share with others, his response was simple yet powerful: “Work hard and go into everything with the attitude that whatever happens, have fun doing it. If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, why are you doing it? There is no secret to success—you just need to work for it and be kind along the way.” Wyatt’s journey through high school has been filled with growth, leadership, and memorable experiences. With his strong work ethic and positive outlook, there is no doubt he will achieve great things in his future.

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment February 2021 Student of the Month Jenna Kull Royalton High School is proud to announce that Jenna Kull was selected as Student of the Month for February. Jenna is the daughter of Lynn and Lyn and younger sister of Kendra. When it comes to family Jenna says the support she gets from them has been extremely important, “family has always been supportive of me. Ever since I remember, they have been with me encouraging me to do my best. I love going on trips with my family, big or small. Ever since I was little we would take family camping trips each year. I would look forward to these trips each year as each one brought time to grow closer and a new adventure. At Royalton High School, Jenna is involved in volleyball, Tech Club and the Minnesota Honor Society. Outside of school she participates in the Loyal Royals 4-H Club, Faith Lutheran Church youth group and is a St. Gabriel’s Hospital Junior Volunteer. Jenna believes her involvement in all these various activities has had a major impact on her, “I have gained good teamwork skills and strong friendships from volleyball. In Tech club I gain knowledge of new technologies and learned how to use them. While in Minnesota Honor Society I gain friendships while helping out our community. I enjoy being part of 4-H because it constantly provides great learning opportunities. Being involved in church youth group gives the opportunity to learn about God while connecting with friends. When volunteering at St. Gabriel’s Hospital my main job is to refill patients’ water and supplies while interacting with them. I have gained a lot from this and it even helped me decide my career.” When it comes to her classes Jenna says her favorite class was her Intro to Agriculture. For Jenna, it was a great experience that she enjoyed while learning, “This class stood out to me because we would always get involved with hands-on activities. I would recommend this class to others because it is really fun and you learn a lot from it.” As for a favorite teacher in high school, Jenna says Mr. Skwira really comes to mind, “One of my favorite teachers is Mr. Skwira. Mr. Skwira is always in a good mood and excited to teach. He is also fully invested in making sure his students have fun while learning to succeed in life.” Jenna’s favorite memory in high school was going to state for FFA, as Jenna put it “An event that stands out to me is going to state for FFA. The trip to the state FFA convention was a fun adventure and a good opportunity to bond with fellow FFA members.” Next year Jenna plans to attend North Dakota State University to major in Medical Laboratory Science. For Jenna, Medical Laboratory Science is a perfect fit, “I believe I have found my dream job. This career is perfect for me because laboratory science is always evolving and changing. Therefore, I will constantly be faced with new challenges to tackle.” Jenna’s advice to high school freshmen is short but sweet “get as involved in high school activities as you can and have lots of fun during the time that you have because it goes by fast.”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment < Back April 2020 Artist of the Month Jenna Anderson Royalton High School's April Artist of the Month is Senior, Jenna Anderson. She is the daughter of Jaime and Jesse Anderson. Never did she think that Art would one day not only be a favorite class of hers, but also be the direction that she would be heading as far as her post secondary plans went. It all started her freshman year in a high school art class called Art Techniques. "In 9th grade, everything changed for me," said Anderson. "After I took an intro to art class and was surrounded by a class full of students, I found out that not only did I love to create art, but that painting and drawing just came easy for me. Throughout high school, I tried to take as many art classes as I could, and in 10th grade, I was in an Art Tech class. In this class, we would try to create many different kinds of art, each unit lasting about one to two weeks. Mr. Halverson would take us through "step by step" drawing or painting units so that everybody got to learn the basics. I always seemed to be the one of the first done with each step and my friends would comment that my work was some of the best in the class. After a weekly Design unit, Halverson moved us to the computer graphics unit. This is where everything really changed for me. Unlike others who struggled with the technology unit of the class, when I got into graphic design using photoshop, every project seemed so easy and was so much fun. We did graphic layouts of business cards, designed and created logos, fake advertisements, and multi-layered photography projects. When we finished this unit, Halverson said, "Do you people realize that what you just completed was very similar to a few of the first six weeks of projects at St. Cloud Technical College's Graphic Design program?" That's when it really hit me. I finally knew what I wanted to do after graduation." "Jenna seemed almost bored with the pace of the class when we had to wait for others to catch up to her," said RHS Visual Arts Instructor Carl Halverson. "It wasn't more than a couple of days later, I was asking her to become a staff aide. I think this happens in every area of learning. You've got the top, and you've got the bottom skill set in a class. You've got the math "Wiz" who finishes all of the next day's assignment in the last five minutes of the class, while those who don't "get it" struggle to finish , the first or second problem on the page. Most of the time, no matter what medium that we may explore in the art room, I can usually borrow those top of the class, "gifted students" abilities to help those who are struggling without them feeling "dumb". That quality is what separates the really good kids in my opinion. Can they help others through a lesson, and make a new friend at the same time?" "My senior year, Mr. Halverson kind of pushed me into being part of the yearbook staff," added Anderson. "This was a very stressful time for me. I was working on about six or seven different projects at the same time with deadlines for each one. Every time that i finished one page design, he would give me another totally different assignment. But I learned so much, and I feel like I am ready and confident as I head to Bemidji State University, where I will major in Graphic Design. I am excited to do something that i love, and I wouldn't have probably ever found it without Halverson forcing me to try something new." "When Jenna mentioned that she might be interested in Graphic Design, I figured that she might as well get a taste of the "rigor" and competition that will be in her college classroom, as well as on the basketball court." said Halverson. "I pretty much used my "Grandpa Ivor's Teaching Method." I taught her to swim by "Trowin' her 'outta 'da Boat!" But I did have a life vest under her desk. I totally expect that Jenna will be able to swim all the way to the top of her class."

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment May 2021 Student of the Month Amanda Waletski Royalton High School is proud to announce that Amanda Waletski was selected as Student of the Month for May. Amanda is the daughter of Dave and Judy and sister of Allyson. Amanda’s family has been her biggest support system and has helped her grow and learn, “My family has taught me to work hard and appreciate the small things. I love spending days on the boat with my mom, dad, sister, and cousins during the summer. My family is always there to encourage me whether it is a sporting event, school work, or even the little things that come up day to day.” Outside of school Amanda works at Jordie’s Trail Side Café in Bowlus, she enjoys water skiing, snowmobiling, walking and playing with her dogs; Maggie and Lucy and also volunteers at her church. At Royalton High School Amanda participated in volleyball, basketball, Student Council, Minnesota Honors Society and keeps stats for the softball team. Looking at all of her activities, Amanda says volleyball and basketball have been the most impactful, “ Basketball and volleyball have allowed me to meet new people that have become close friends. Sports have also taught me skills such as time management, commitment and teamwork.” “I’ve really enjoyed my time teaching and coaching Amanda these past 4 years. She is such a joyful person and helpful person, no matter the situation Amanda was going to lighten the mood or do whatever she could to help. I would also say she’s one of the toughest people I know, during her Freshman year, she missed the second half of the basketball season because of a leg injury, but she still stayed involved and worked her way back to playing again the following year. Then during one of our summer tournaments, she broke her jaw, but that didn’t deter her, she came back and played just as hard. Then this past season in basketball, while Amanda isn’t the biggest person, she wasn’t afraid of taking on girls that were much bigger and she would always go 100%. It was great to have her on our team and as one of our captains. I’m really excited to see what’s instore for her in the years to come!.”- Head Girls Basketball Coach and Social Studies Teacher Brad Baumann. Looking at her academics Amanda believes her English teacher Ms. Menden has played a large role, “My favorite teacher is Ms. Menden. She cares about us as students but also as individuals. Her classes have taught me many valuable lessons I will use in my future. Ms. Menden always has a positive attitude and encourages me to always work hard to do my best.” Amanda’s favorite high school memory came during this past basketball season, “My favorite memory from high school is when our basketball team upset Holdingford in the playoffs this year. My team worked really hard and I was proud to be a part of it.” Next year Amanda plans to attend North Dakota State University while she is not a 100% sure what she wants to major in, one possibility is drafting or construction management. In 10 years, Amanda would like to be living somewhere near the Royalton/Bowlus area so she’s close to family. She’s hoping to have a steady job in her career field, she would like to foster dogs and also do some traveling around the world. Amanda’s advice to high school freshmen is short but sweet “become involved in your school and attend events and sporting games because high school goes faster than you think.!”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment October 2018 Student of the Month Nathan Popp Nathan Popp, son of Larry and Renee Popp, has been named October Student of the Month at Royalton High School (RHS). He has four siblings, Allison, Corey, Nicole, and Aaron. Popp named Agriculture teacher Robert Skwira as one of his favorite teachers, and ‘growing green’, a class Skwira taught when Popp was a freshman, as his favorite class. Here is what Swira had to say about Popp. “Nathan Popp is a great young man. He is gifted and talented in many ways. In the classroom his work is done with extreme quality. Outside of the classroom he is a leader in the activities that he participates in. Students look up to him because he treats others with respect and shows them he genuinely cares about them. Nathan will succeed in whatever he does after high school! Congratulations Nathan!” Popp has been active in many activities throughout his high school career, including football, basketball, baseball, National Honor Society, Student Council, FFA, and 4-H. A favorite memory for Nathan was making it to the Section 7AA championship game 3 years in a row in football, and all the success the team has had through the seasons. “Nathan is an exceptional student as well as an exceptional athlete. He works to understand material whether in the classroom or on the playing fields. Nate understands how to use his practicing to perform well come test/game time.” said science teacher and head boys basketball coach Randy Thielges. After high school, Nathan plans to attend St. Cloud State University to double major in Accounting and Finance. Nathan’s advice to freshmen is: “Have fun in high school, don’t take for granted the time you get to have with your friends. Take every opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Things that I am the proudest about with my time in high school started out as a thing that I thought I could not do.”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment March 2023 Student of the Month James Vannurden James is the son of Phil and Jill. James says his family has been a huge part of his life, “My family has been really influential in my life, they have pushed me very hard in everything. My parents have always made sure to push me to getting good grades and being active in sports and activities.” Whether it is in school or outside of school, James is involved in a variety of activities, “I am in Youth Group for my church. We do a lot of activities. I do enjoy being involved with my church; it feels very rewarding to do things to help my community. I’m in Football, Track, and YES Club. I have always loved football since I was very little, I would play it every day. Football has help me through life because of all of the memories and friends I’ve gained. I first joined track when I was in 7th grade. I joined track because I thought I was very fast in 7th grade; The first meet was very humbling for me. I moved around a lot in track, until I found out i was good at jumping. Track has been fun over the years because of the friendships I made. Im also in YES Club. I have done a ton of activities in YES club like building a retaining wall for the school, and doing fun activities with our group like snow tubing at Power Ridge. Overall YES Club has been a good experience for me.” When it comes to his classes James says his favorite class was welding and his favorite teacher is Mr. Robert Skwira. “My favorite class I have taken in high school is Welding. What I liked about Welding so much is that I got taught a whole new skill, Welding was one of the only classes that I couldn't wait to go to. It stood out because at first, I was a little bit scared of trying it but once I got comfortable, it was awesome. I would suggest it to other students because it’s a good skill to have with you, and not many know how to do it. My favorite teacher would have to be Mr. Skwira because of all the knowledge about the trades that I have learned. Skwira is a teacher that has always been very nice to me and really expected a lot out of me. I like how he teaches because he let me try to figure it out on my own, and if I was struggling, he would jump in.” James' favorite memory from school took place this fall, “My favorite high school memory is homecoming. Homecoming is such a fun time because of all the activities we did including the Olympics and dress up days. What made it the best memory was at the end of the day I played football with all of my buddies versus the Paynesville bulldogs. It was a brutal game, but it all made it worth it when we pulled ahead and won the game. After that everyone was pumped up and it was a good time.” James then said the best event he was part of was during his junior football season, “The best game I was involved in is my junior year of football, where in the second round of the playoffs. We played against the Paynesville Bulldogs, and we were going back and forth at each other. The nerves were hitting because there was a full crowd and we had to stay in the game, but when the clock struck zero, we managed to pull out the win. At the end it was so rewarding because even though my body felt like garbage, I was so excited we won.” After graduating and where he sees himself in the future James had this to say, “Next year I will be jumping right into working doing construction, I chose construction because I like to work with my hands and I like to moving around all of the time. The best thing that I like about construction is going through building and looking at the progress made on the building. In the next 10 years I plan to work hard and make some money, I hope to buy my own house and start to develop a family. It is important to me because I would like to have something to push me to work hard.” James’ advice to high school freshmen is, “One thing I would advise is to get your required classes done earlier so you can have fun classes that you will like when you’re an upperclassman and make sure to have fun.”