Journal Writing Project Don’t just exist, live

By Ashley Haugerud

I​ ​believe​ ​that​ ​academics​ ​always​ ​come​ ​first.​ ​On​ ​November​ ​16, ​the​ ​Fillmore Central​ ​High​ ​School​ ​hosted​ ​a​ ​Scholar​ ​Club​ ​ceremony​ ​to​ ​recognize​ ​students​ ​for​ ​their academic​ ​excellence.​ ​To​ ​be​ ​in​ ​Scholar​ ​Club,​ ​one​ ​must​ ​maintain​ ​a​ ​GPA​ ​of​ ​3.5​ ​or​ ​higher, with​ ​all​ ​grades​ ​being​ ​a​ ​“C”​ ​or​ ​better.​ ​The​ ​award​ ​is​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​previous​ ​year’s academic​ ​record.​ ​Therefore,​ ​only​ ​10-12​ ​graders​ ​can​ ​be​ ​members.

This​ ​year’s​ ​Scholar​ ​Club​ ​was​ ​very​ ​memorable,​ ​as​ ​it​ ​was​ ​my​ ​last.​ ​I​ ​am​ ​a​ ​senior this​ ​year,​ ​and​ ​to​ ​be​ ​on​ ​Scholar​ ​Club​ ​is​ ​a​ ​very​ ​high​ ​honor.​ ​The​ ​ceremony​ ​started​ ​out​ ​with our​ ​principle​, ​Heath​ ​Olstad​ ​gathering​ ​everyone’s​ ​attention ​as​ ​he​ ​introduced​ ​our​ ​guest speaker.​ ​This​ ​year​ ​we​ ​had​ ​Michael​ ​Aggen,​ ​the​ ​owner​ ​of​ ​Oak​ ​Meadow​ ​Meats,​ ​as​ ​our guest​ ​speaker.​ ​He​ ​talked​ ​about​ ​his​ ​journey​ ​and​ ​how​ ​he​ ​would​ ​have​ ​never​ ​imagined he’d​ ​be​ ​where​ ​he​ ​is​ ​today.​ ​The​ ​lesson​ ​he​ ​taught​ ​us​ ​all​ ​is​ ​even​ ​though​ ​you​ ​may​ ​have your​ ​whole​ ​life​ ​planned​ ​out​ ​right​ ​now,​ ​it​ ​may​ ​change,​ ​so​ ​be​ ​ready.​ ​Change​ ​is​ ​ok,​ ​and everything​ ​will​ ​work​ ​out​ ​the​ ​way​ ​it​ ​is​ ​supposed​ ​too.​ ​After​ ​our​ ​guest​ ​speaker​ ​talked,​ ​Mr. Olstad​ ​announced​ ​all​ ​the​ ​sophomore​ ​and​ ​junior ​names,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​their​ ​parents’ names.​ ​He​ ​then​ ​announced​ ​all​ ​the​ ​senior​ ​names,​ ​their​ ​parents’​ ​names,​ ​and​ ​what​ ​the seniors’​ ​plans​ ​were​ ​for​ ​next​ ​year.​ ​The​ ​ceremony​ ​was​ ​followed​ ​with​ ​pictures​ ​and​ ​treats.

​ I​ ​have​ ​been​ ​a​ ​member​ ​for​ ​three​ ​years​ ​and​ ​the​ ​recognition​ ​for​ ​academic​ ​success makes​ ​the​ ​hours​ ​of​ ​studying​ ​worthwhile.​ ​Being​ ​in​ ​Scholar​ ​Club​ ​is​ ​not​ ​easy,​ ​but​ ​it’s definitely​ ​not​ ​impossible.​ ​The​ ​past​ ​two​ ​years​ ​I​ ​have​ ​taken​ ​very​ ​difficult​ ​classes,​ ​which makes​ ​it​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​maintain​ ​that​ ​3.5​ ​GPA,​ ​but​ ​I​ ​still​ ​manage​ ​to​ ​do​ ​it.​ ​During​ ​junior​ ​year, some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​hardest​ ​classes​ ​I​ ​took​ ​were​ ​Pre-Calc,​ ​College​ ​Government​ ​and​ ​Econ, Chemistry,​ ​and​ ​Physics.​ ​And​ ​now​ ​in​ ​my​ ​senior​ ​year​ ​I​ ​am​ ​currently​ ​taking​ ​College English,​ ​College​ ​Calculus,​ ​Composition,​ ​Advanced​ ​Chemistry,​ ​and​ ​College​ ​Anatomy and​ ​Physiology.​ ​I​ ​have​ ​quite​ ​the​ ​load​ ​of​ ​classes,​ ​but​ ​that’s​ ​not​ ​all.​ ​I​ ​am​ ​also​ ​very involved​ ​in​ ​school,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​in​ ​my​ ​community.​ ​In​ ​school​ ​I​ ​am​ ​a​ ​class​ ​officer​ ​and​ ​am involved​ ​in​ ​SADD,​ ​NHS,​ ​Student​ ​Council,​ ​Meals​ ​on​ ​Wheels,​ ​Radio​ ​Show,​ ​etc.​, ​and​ ​in my​ ​community​ ​I​ ​am​ ​involved​ ​through​ ​my​ ​church,​ ​I​ ​am​ ​a​ ​member​ ​of​ ​Harmony​ ​area Community​ ​Foundation,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​help​ ​out​ ​my​ ​neighbors​ ​when​ ​needed.

Another​ ​big​ ​part​ ​of​ ​my​ ​life​ ​besides​ ​academics​ ​is​ ​music.​ ​I​ ​participate​ ​in​ ​band, choir,​ ​jazz​ ​band,​ ​and​ ​Tapestry.​ ​I​ ​am​ ​the​ ​president​ ​of​ ​choir,​ ​and​ ​this​ ​past​ ​marching​ ​band season​ ​I​ ​was​ ​a​ ​drum​ ​major​ ​for​ ​the​ ​band​ ​alongside​ ​Alex​ ​Love.​ ​All​ ​of​ ​my​ ​experiences have​ ​shaped​ ​me​ ​into​ ​the​ ​person​ ​I​ ​am​ ​today.​ ​Although​ ​it​ ​is​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​to​ ​handle,​ ​I​ ​still​ ​succeed in​ ​my​ ​academics​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​I​ ​truly​ ​believe​ ​anything​ ​is​ ​possible​ ​and​ ​all​ ​incoming​ ​freshman, sophomores,​ ​and​ ​juniors​ ​should​ ​make​ ​it​ ​a​ ​goal​ ​to​ ​be​ ​in​ ​Scholar​ ​Club.

Ashley Haugerud is a student at Fillmore Central High School. She is one of seven area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 19th year.