Claire is the daughter of Doug and Kari Prokott. When talking about the impact of her family Claire said she has especially learned a lot from her parents, “My family has taught me many valuable lessons in life, especially my parents, Doug and Kari. My parents have taught me how to be kind toward other people. Although they might not notice, I see and observe how they treat others with kindness and generosity and I hope to persevere and continue to do the same. My mom and dad, along with every single one of my aunts and uncles, have always encouraged me and lifted me up when I thought I had hit rock bottom. I have begun to see what life throws at you, and my entire family has been there for me through it all. If I ever need anything, I know that every one of them is always willing a helping hand. My whole family has always has my back no matter where I was in life. They have taught me that family is everything and I will be forever grateful for them. My two sisters, Lydia and Ella, have always been so supportive of me for everything I have accomplished in life so far. They have also taught me how to love others. All siblings bicker at times, but my sisters have made me realize that being a supportive and loving human being, is one of the most valuable traits to have.”

Looking over the course of her schooling, Claire’s favorite class was College Human Biology, “My favorite class was College Human Biology with Mrs. Gerads. I enjoyed this class because a person really got deep into what the human body truly does and how it functions. It was mind-blowing to see what little things that your body has to do to keep functioning properly. I would definitely recommend this class to other students. Especially if you enjoy the human body or want to learn more about it. You get to do amazing labs to help you have a better understanding of the body.  Along with all of that, you’ll also get an amazing teacher to help you through it all.”

As for Claire’s favorite teacher, she really enjoyed Ms. Sheri Menden, “My favorite teacher is Mrs. Menden (Sheri Menden). Mrs. Menden kept me on my toes my junior year when I took College Composition I & II. Although the class was more on the difficult side, she will be a teacher I will always remember. She always helped me out in her class specifically, but she was always willing to help with other classes as well. She would take time out of her lunch and after school hours to help me perfect my essays. She also taught me how to improve my speaking skills. Before her class, I was a nervous public speaker, but after her class, I am able to speak and I will receive compliments about how I do not use “like” or “uhm” while I speak. All in all, Mrs. Menden was another grandma to me. She has the sweetest heart and the kindest soul that I aspire to have.”

When looking at Claire’s time in school, she was involved in a variety of activities. “As for sports, I participated in volleyball, basketball, and track. I loved volleyball and basketball because they are team sports. You get to work together to achieve goals and celebrate together. As for track and field, I love it because it is more of an individual sport. You work together with relay teams, but you also work to compete against yourself to gain better measurements or times. Outside of athletics, I joined the spring musical, Beauty and the Beast, to do mic tech my senior year. Being a part of a school play was part of my bucket list before I graduated high school and I could not be more happy that I did it. The friendships and bonds that are created through the drama club are immaculate and irreplaceable. Being a part of the musical is something that I will hang onto and never forget. I recently joined my school’s jazz band this past year as well. We meet once a week to practice various songs that we perform to the community, judges, etc. Being in jazz band has taught me that if you want to get better at something, you have to put in work. Everyone in jazz band takes time out of their Tuesday mornings to get better and learn how to play different types of songs. All in all, I enjoy working with everyone to put together a piece of music to make it sound beautiful. The three clubs that I am a part of are Minnesota’s Honor Society, Spanish Club, and YES! (Youth Eco Solutions) Club. In MHS, we get to help others in our community. We will help with local blood drives, city-wide cleanups, etc. I am so thankful to be a part of MHS because I get to help others in our community that need it. For YES and the Spanish club, I am an officer in both and it has taught me great leadership skills. Along with being a leader for others, I gained closeness to others around me. When you are in a club, you are all there for a reason, to bond over something. Whether it is planting flowers in a prairie for YES Club or snacking on Colombian snacks in Spanish Club. I feel the most beneficial activity that I have done in school is track and field. We have never had a track, so we learn how to work extra hard to achieve our goals. Being a part of Royalton track and field is like being a part of a family. This is something that will be hard to let go of, but I will cherish the memories for the rest of my life.”

Claire still has time to enjoy activities outside of school as well, “Outside of school activities, I enjoy hanging out with my friends and family. One thing that my family and I love doing together in the summer is going on the bike trails with our electric bikes. We enjoy making the 7-mile trek to BOHO in Holdingford, MN. We will start near Bowlus and make our way to BOHO to get a sweet treat and then head back. One other thing we really enjoy doing in the summer is camping. We plan weekend camping trips to spend time together. My family and I sit by the water, snack, and enjoy each other’s company. As for my friends, my favorite thing to do with them is go on coffee runs. My two friends, Arianne and Baley, and I will head to the nearest Starbucks to get ourselves a nice drink to start the day. Although our bank account might not agree with our purchases, it makes for some good memories. I will truly enjoy doing anything with the people I love.”

Claire’s favorite high school memory took place this past fall during Homecoming, “My favorite high school memory is getting the opportunity to be Homecoming queen. Words cannot describe how thankful I was to be the queen. I am so grateful for everyone who thought I deserved to be it. When the drumroll started, I was going to be happy for any of my friends because each and every one deserved it. When the drumroll stopped and the applause started, I realized that the crown was set on my head. I turned to see all of my friends smiling at me with the biggest grin on their faces. I’m sure my face got a little red, but I could not stop smiling. Afterwards, I got so many genuine hugs and compliments from everyone around me, it made my heart so happy. After coronation, all of the candidates went out to eat at Boulder Tap House in St. Cloud and the girls headed to Cherry Berry after the meal for a sweet treat. I had so much fun that night with everyone. A night that was filled with so many memories and something I will never forget.”

Claire was also involved in an activity that was very memorable, “The best event that I have ever been a part of was making it to and placing 5th at the State Track and Field Meet my junior year. My junior year I had the amazing opportunity to run the 4x1 in the State Meet at STMA. Something that made my experience even better, was that I got to run it with my younger sister, Lydia. I ran the first leg and she finished with running the last leg. My team and I worked our tails off last season. We would go to different tracks on our own time to practice on a real track, worked endlessly on perfecting our handoffs, and so much more little techniques. Everyone put in time and effort because we knew we could go far if we wanted to. We got to the first day of the state meet, and we did not have a tent. We had to sit behind some bleachers so the scorching heat would not get to us. The heat did not stop us, we practiced our handoffs, said a prayer before our race, and ended up PR’ing by almost a whole second! We got second in our heat moving us up to finals the next day. We went out to dinner that night to celebrate and the next day we were back at STMA to run our tails off again. When I handed off to the second leg, all I could watch was my sister, Lydia, patiently waiting for the 3rd leg to hand off to her. As Lydia received the baton, I started sprinting back to the finish line to watch her cross. As she was passing people, I was screaming my lungs out getting so excited. We ended up finishing 5th and I could not have been prouder of my teammates. They worked so hard to get where they were. I hope this year I am able to make it to the State Meet again to create another memory like this one.”

Next year Claire will be heading off to the College of St. Benedict to pursue a degree in nursing and when asked where she sees herself 10 years from now, here is what Claire had to say, “After college I hope to be an ICU or NICU nurse for a couple years. After I get experience in that specific field, I hope to use my previous knowledge that I gained to become a flight nurse. Outside of my career, I hope to be married and have a family of my own living in the country. I cannot wait to see where I am and what I have accomplished in 10 years.”

Finally, Claire’s advice for freshmen is, “Working hard is a big part of being successful in high school. However, making time for yourself is even more important. I learned that if you do not take time for yourself, you’re going to lose focus on your schoolwork. Being successful in school does not mean that you have to be involved in every club/activity. You have to pick your things that you enjoy and have time for. Life is too short, do the things you enjoy, while also working hard to achieve your goals. One other thing to remember is to be nice to other people. Having a genuine heart and good work ethic makes school easier. If you’re kind to others, they will be nice to you, especially teachers. The kinder you are to teachers and other faculty members, the more willing they are going to be to lend a helping hand. Being a kind-hearted and thoughtful person will not only be helpful in high school, but it will take you far in life.”