Nola is the daughter of Travis and Nadine. When it comes to family Nola says they have been very important to her, “My family has taught me that hard work can get you anywhere. My Mom and Dad are very hard workers and they influenced me to work hard for what I want. I really enjoy boating in the summertime with my family the most.”

At Royalton High School, Nola participated in sports and activities, “Throughout high school I have taken part in Softball, Yes Club, and Knowledge Bowl. I have played Softball for a long period of my life. I enjoy the team, program, and being around my friends and making memories. YES Club is something I joined as a senior to and would definitely recommend to anyone thinking about joining. Being outside and seeing different aspects of nature and energy conservation is something I had no idea could be so intriguing. Last but not least is the Knowledge Bowl. I loved Knowledge Bowl. It was such a fun environment. I made a lot of new friends and a lot of wonderful memories at our meets!”

When it comes to her classes Nola says her favorite classes are science classes, “My favorite classes are any science classes with Ms.Gerads. She has taught me a lot considering I have taken Biology, Ecology, Zoology, Forensics and Microbiology.

As for a favorite teacher in high school, Nola says she has a couple her favorite, “One of my favorite teachers is definitely Ms. Menden. Not only because she is a great English teacher but also because she is so knowledgeable about life and is truly a wonderful advice giver. She is very influential to me because she has seen me at my worst years of school all the way into my best years because she is also my homeroom advisor. One of my other favorite teachers would have to be Ms. Tordsen because she is so wise beyond art. She makes the school environment so inclusive and welcoming.”

Outside of school Nola spends a lot of time with family and friends, “Outside of school I love to spend time with my friends and family. I spend a lot of time with my grandparents every week. I set aside time to spend with them because they are pretty much my best friends, they have taught me so much and I really do not know where I would be without them. I also enjoy traveling. My favorite vacation was probably Tennessee which I recently took with my family. I also enjoy my job as a cashier at Coborns. I have been a cashier for almost 3 years and I really enjoy it.”

When asked about her favorite memory and activity of high school, this was Nola’s response, “My favorite high school memory was winning the 2022 Homecoming Olympics. Why this is my favorite memory is because everyone was so excited including me and we were all just living in the moment. it was a great time for the class of 2023. Not to mention the football team won the big game that day against Paynesville. The best activity I was involved in was the Yes Club tubing trip this winter. I had such a blast with all my friends and it was a beautiful sunny day and it just was such a fun time. Believe it or not we got all almost 60 of us down the sledding hill at one time. It took a couple of tries but eventually we got it!”

Nola’s plans for her future are these, “Next year I will be attending Central Lakes Brainerd for Dental Assisting. I enjoy working with people and I eventually hope continue my schooling to become a Dental Therapist. My long-term goal is to make enough money to do a lot of traveling with my significant other. I hope to buy a house and continue my education in the dental field.”

Nola’s advice to high school freshmen was this “My advice to a freshman would be to never sell yourself short. Every person has different capabilities and not everyone is the same. I would say do not be afraid to be different. All throughout high school people want to blend in and be the same but I would say be weird and be different because you will not regret becoming the own version of yourself that you were meant to be. Make new friends and enjoy every moment because it sure does go by fast!