November 2022 Student of the Month
Connor Carlson

Connor is the son of Dail and Shelly. Connor believes his family has played a big role in his life, “My family has taught me the importance of working hard in school and sports. I enjoy spending time with my family any way possible. Some of my favorite activities to do with them are kayaking, hiking, and biking. My older siblings are my main source of encouragement because they had excellent grades in high school, and have encouraged me to do the same.”
Connor spends a lot of his time helping out and participating in Royalton athletics, “The sports I am in are football, basketball, and track. I enjoy these sports because I am able to work with my friends and teammates in order to achieve a goal. I am also in the YES club. I enjoy the YES club because we are able to work together as a club to better the environment. Another activity I am involved in is MHS. In the Minnesota Honors Society, we are able to help out the community. I gained useful skills such as time management by participating in these activities during high school. Outside of school I am involved in the youth basketball programs. I help out in both the summer and winter basketball camps. I enjoy helping out in the camps because it gives me an opportunity to work with the kids and get to know the community. By working at the camps, I was able to gain useful communication skills.”
When it comes to his classes Connor says his favorite is physics, “My favorite class is physics. The students and the teacher are the reasons physics stands out from other classes. I suggest other students take physics because it has a good class atmosphere and the teacher makes lessons easy to understand.”
As for a favorite teacher in high school Connor enjoys having Mr. Baumann as a teacher. “My favorite teacher at Royalton High School is Brad Baumann. He teaches in a way that makes learning fun and interesting. He also provides plenty of work time in class, so students do not get overwhelmed with homework.”
Connor has a few memories that come to mind from his time at Royalton. One of them took place on a trip to Fort Ripley and the other was a class project, “My favorite high school memory is when the YES club went to Fort Ripley. Our club split into groups and competed against each other in their courage course. After the course, we toured around their facilities and looked at their armored vehicles and weapons. Then my favorite project during high school was installing a solar light on Royalton’s school sign. It is my favorite project because my classmate and I were co-leaders and were able to design the entire project ourselves. We even presented the project to the local lion’s club, so they would provide the funds to buy the solar light and solar panel.”
After graduating high school Connor plans to attend a 4-year university, “Next year I plan on going to either UMD or NDSU to pursue a degree in engineering. I decided to become an engineer because I enjoy math and physics.”
In ten years, Connor has this idea. “After finishing college, I plan on returning to the area, and getting a job as a mechanical or electrical engineer.”
Connor’s advice to high school freshmen is, “Work hard in your classes and get your homework done as soon as possible. You also need to be able to balance school and social life.”