Seniors share stories, hopes and advice

by Hope Kriegel

Part 2 of a series

Growing up in a small town can be a blessing in disguise. With only 29 kids in the graduating class of 2011, we know everyone’s families and the quirky things about each other. We have seen each other succeed as well as fall a little short of our goals. We have grown up together and will soon be faced with telling each other goodbye to head off to college. We have thought about our future, as well as what we will miss and the advice we would like to give.

Courtney Latcham

Courtney predicts that in 10 years she will be completing an internship on the West coast and coming back to Iowa to open and run her own chain of salons. She also sees herself happily married and possibly with children. 

Courtney tells the freshmen, “Start planning your future early; it really helps to be prepared. Never base your decision on what other people want you to do. Do what you love.” She will miss the friendships she has made and the memories she has with everyone the most. Courtney will also miss all the activities and sports. 

Bryan Stanford

Bryan sees himself in a city starting his career in marketing in 10 years. His advice is to concentrate on your grades while having fun, because it doesn’t last forever. He is going to miss playing high school sports and the friendships that were made doing so. 

Alyson (Aly) Breese

Aly says, “In 10 years, I see myself working as an interior designer in either Des Moines or Cedar Rapids. I also see myself settling down, getting married and starting a family.” Her advice to the freshmen is not to wait until the last minute to do your homework or projects. It won’t help at all your senior year when it's time to do scholarships. Aly is going to miss her friends and seeing them every day. 

Olivia (Liv) Tribby

Liv hopes to be somewhere on the beach in 10 years. She tells younger students, “This is the time to make mistakes. Take risks, take advantage but take the time to learn, grow and remember.” Liv is going to miss Hope Kriegel yelling, “Ew look at that redhead!” every day in the hallway when she sees her, even though she knows she will probably hear it for the rest of her life. 

Calli Zimmerman

Ten years from now, Calli sees herself with a job in a place like Cargill, married and hopefully with a child. She tells the younger students, “Sports are fun, but grades are actually important. Keep your grades up but have fun. It will be gone quickly.” Calli will miss knowing everybody around her and all the memories she has made. 

Alexa Wheaton

Alexa hopes to be teaching preschool or kindergarten in a town that resembles Montezuma in 10 years. She also hopes to be married to her best friend and possibly have a family of her own. Alexa’s advice to the freshmen is to “Be yourself and get involved in as many things as possible because you are never going to get this time back. Enjoy every moment and don’t take anything for granted because it goes so fast and you never realize when it’s going to be gone.” She is going to miss everything about high school. She says she grew up with a great group of friends and is going to miss all of them and the great memories they have made. Alexa is also going to miss all of the sports, activities and teachers. 

To be continued…