Brooke is the daughter of Robert and Carol. Brooke’s family has helped her grow and learn, “The two biggest lessons I have learned from my family is to strive to always be kind to people and to never give up on my dreams and ambitions. I enjoy going on family road trips up to Duluth, hanging out by the fire during the summer, or simply just talking about life in the living room with my family. My dad, my mom, and my sister Breanna are all huge role models in my life who are all super hard working and compassionate for others. They encourage me to make as many relationship bonds as I can, be ambitious about my goals, and make sure I try to put a smile on people's faces. They encourage me to do amazing things but the most important thing of all is that they encourage me to be myself and love myself.”

At Royalton High School Brooke participates in many activities, “The first activities I joined were volleyball and softball and speech. These sports have offered many friendships and connections that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I have met some of the most amazing people whether they are students at Royalton or students from other schools. I gained a sense of teamwork, management skills, and a lot of patience as a result of being in these sports. Other activities I have joined have been YES club, the Royal Ambassador program, drama/theater, student council, and Minnesota Honor Society. My involvement in these areas has made me develop so many new skills and given me life lessons that I will cherish forever.”

Looking at her classes Brooke says her favorite class has been Independent Art, “My favorite class is my art independent. I love this class because it’s a way where I can show my creative abilities, and I don’t have to follow a guideline as to how to create my art. An art dependent gives you the freedom to create any art you want so I really got to use both my problem-solving skills, but also my imagination. I love that I got to use this class as an opportunity to be able to tap into my almost silly and childlike self. Another reason why I love this class so much is because of the people in it. I absolutely adore my teacher, Mrs. Tordsen. She is such a ball of light and just being in her class makes me ten times happier. I also love my friends of course and during this class I can talk with them, and have a stress-free hour to hang out with them.”

When asked about some her favorite teachers at RHS, Brooke had this to say, “All of my teachers greatly impacted me in their own unique ways, so it’s hard to decide but if I had to narrow it down, I would have to say that Ms. Meek and Mr. Koenig are teachers who have made a huge impact in my time during high school. Ms. Meek is such a special person to me because not only has she been my teacher, but she has also been my coach, and she has honestly felt like another cool aunt! Ms. Meek is the type of person you always wish to have in high school. She is there whenever you need help in school, advice in a sport, or even if you need a person to cry to. I will miss my random pop-ins into her room to bother her about life and her contagious laugh. She inspires me to stand up for what I believe in and encourages me to be the strong woman I am. Mr. Koenig has also been a huge role model in my life. He is a special person to me because I know I can always count on him if I ever need to talk. His goofy personality makes it so fun to be around and I know I can easily joke with him. Through having him as a teacher and student council advisor I have seen that he is truly such a kindhearted person who would be willing to do anything for his students. All of my teachers have played a role in shaping who I am today, so they all hold a special place in my heart.

Brooke’s favorite high school memory was her trip to New York, “The high school memory that stands out above all the others is when the drama and choir groups took a trip to New York. This trip had many ups and downs however I still think about this trip almost every day. I loved that I got to share my first experience in New York with some of my best friends. My favorite parts of the trip were when we went to Coney Island and swam at the beach and looked for sea glass. I also loved when we watched the Broadway shows, The Lion King and Hamilton. However, my favorite part of the trip was when we would debrief about our day. No matter the ups and downs of the trip, I will always remember this vacation.

Outside of school Brooke’s activities include, “The main activity I participate in outside of school would be working with kids at MAP. I work at a program called MAP over at Royalton Elementary school. During the summer and school year the children get to hang out together, continue learning new things, and go on awesome field trips where they can flourish and really connect to one another. This is where they can truly be children and escape from whatever may be bothering them elsewhere. I started working at MAP because I love to see the joy in children, and I want to be the role model for them and so they know I will always be there for them. This job has taught me to have more patience for others, try my best to make others happy, and to be in the present moment.

Along with her favorite high school memory Brooke also had another experience that she will cherish. “My favorite school event was when we took a trip to Craguns for our student council retreat. This was one of the best trips because there were so many activities we got to do. We participated in ice breaker activities with people from other schools, we got to listen to motivational speakers talking about leadership, and have some pretty awesome food. However, my absolute favorite part was when we were able to go to the pool to swim and sing karaoke and then have a big dance party at night.”

As to what she plans to do next year and where she sees herself in 10 years, Brooke had this to say, “I will be attending the University of North Dakota this upcoming fall. I will be majoring in business and working toward receiving my bachelors. After I finish with college, I will be working to start my own business as well as advancing in the marketing field. I’m still debating on exactly what I’m going to invest into for a business, however figuring that out will come with time. The question of where I will be in 10 years is a harder one for me to answer because I’m a very easy going, go with the flow kind of girl. I’ve thought about what life would be like however I’m not super strict with how my life has to go. I only hope to have a sustainable job in order for me to support my family, and to be able to have the freedom of working on different hobbies. I believe hobbies are very important for happiness so this would be something I would need.”

Brooke’s advice to high school freshmen is this “Make sure you stay true to yourself. Don’t change anything for anyone if you’re not comfortable with it. If you feel overwhelmed or like you need a change then please do it. Do it for yourself because at the end of the day this is your experience and you have the ability to shape who you are as you grow into adulthood. Make these next four years the best you possibly can because I promise you, time flies by.