Royalton Faculty and Staff would like to announce that Mackenzie Beam has been named the Student of the Month for May. Mackenzie notes that her family has helped her get to where she is today in more ways than she can think of. They have shaped her into the person she is by always being there for her when she needs them most, and push her to always do her best. She states that she is grateful for her five siblings because they have helped her find her way through life and allowed her to follow in their footsteps. Her family has taught her to always go after her dreams and if it doesn’t work out, she will always have their support and her faith to get her through it.

Mackenzie’s favorite classes this past year were STATS and English. These were her favorite because the class atmosphere was always high and energetic. Ms. Menden and Mr. Silbernick made their classes enjoyable to be in, which made the hour go by fast.

She notes that her favorite teacher is Ms. Menden. Although she has only had her for one year of English 12, she has made a big effort to really connect and get to know all of the students in Mackenzie’s class. One of her favorite things is that Ms. Menden was always smiling in class and made everyday fun, exciting and full of energy.

At RHS, Mackenzie has been involved in Y.E.S. Club, Spanish Club, Minnesota Honor Society, and Student Council. She explains that she joined all of these organizations to try and get out of her comfort zone and be more involved. Her favorite High School activity was Student Council, especially in setting up for Homecoming. It was one of her favorites because seeing all of the other students having fun, smiling, and laughing was a great reward for all the hard work they all had put into that week. Mackenzie believes that she gained some leadership skills and more confidence by being involved in these various activities. Chris Coppicus, Royalton High School Band Director, would like to highlight that, “Mackenzie is a quiet leader in the band.  She comes to class with a smile on her face everyday and puts in the work. Now that we are distance learning I am finding that Mackenzie is a stronger clarinet player than I first thought and she will be greatly missed next year.”

Outside of school, she is involved in 4-H through Benton County. In the Spring, she gets pigs and raises them until August when they are taken to the Benton County Fair to show. She has a lot of fun making memories with her cousins at the fair, as well. Mackenzie’s favorite High School memory was when the power went out this past Fall and all the Seniors gathered in the Lion's Den in a circle sang songs and made memories.

Next year she will be attending the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, majoring in Elementary Education. She is planning to teach either first or second grade. Tammy Shaughnessy, Kindergarten teacher at Royalton Elementary School states, “Mackenzie has been a student intern in my kindergarten class since the beginning of the school year.  She has always been very reliable, showing up every day prepared and ready to jump into action with the students.  She spent a lot of time reading with the kindergartners, playing learning games, assisting with small-group activities, helping with writing, and countless other activities.  The students loved having Miss Mackenzie come into our classroom and they always hoped they were the next ones who got to read with her.  She has an extremely kind heart and is so respectful of all students and their unique needs.  Even in our unprecedented situation, where students may be feeling bombarded with distance learning, Mackenzie reached out to me and asked if she could join the Google Hangout with the kindergartners.  The kids were very happy to see that Miss Mackenzie was able to join us.”

Her advice for High School Freshman is, “soak it all in because the time really does go by fast!”