Student of the Month

October 2009



Ron Stoops

Tyler Janzen
Ron Stoops introduced Tyler Janzen, a senior at Rocky Mountain High School, as the October Student of the Month. Tyler is the Student Body President at Rocky and is involved in Forensics and many community service activities, like Adopt a Family at Christmas time. He discussed “service” from the perspective of study body president. With his student council members, he has tried to implant the notion of local service. Due to the 9th grades being integrated into the high schools this year, he has spent time working on programs to help make the transition easier.

Tyler plans on attending Lewis and Clark University in Oregon and major in International Relations. Tyler's mother, father and school counselor, Susan Takahashi attended our meeting. Tyler thanked the club for the honor.

September 2009


Kelsey Haugen
Paul Solko introduced Laura Jo Washle. Paul said that Laura Joe was a senior at Poudre in the IB program, was a Volleyball Player and was currently touring colleges. She thanked us for the true honor and said we were a much younger club than her father had said we would be. That comment received a loud applause from our club. She complimented us on our bravery for singing somewhere besides the shower and invited those who still have eligibility to join the Impalaphonics choir, in which she participates. Laura thanked her guests (parents, grandparents and coach/teacher) for their support. She spoke of leaving a positive legacy for following generations. Daily choices determine the imprint we make on the future. She said being a high school student is not easy these days; every day brings new challenges. She is heavily involved in school and community activities, including being in the IB program. The real challenge is finding time for a social life.

March 2009


Kelsey Haugen
President Jan Bertholf introduced the student of the month as Kelsey Haugen, a senior at Rocky Mountain High School. After Kelsey recognized her parents and her councilor, Joe Lacricchio, she told us that this was not her first visit to our club. Her first visit was as the leader of a Polio Eradication project that her sixth grade class was working on and her visit was to ask for our club's support. She said that she has continued her leadership efforts at Rocky by being on student council, a peer councilor, a LINK crew leader and a Peace Circle student facilitator.

Kelsey is also is very active in the community by being involved in things like City Park cleanup, Adopt a Family at Christmas, cooking a meal at Christmas at the McDonald House and working with her father with Special Olympics, only to mention a few. She would like to attend Vanderbilt University next fall and study medicine.

February 2009


Adrielle Seideman
Garth McCann introduced Adrielle Seideman, a senior at Poudre Valley High School. Not only is she Class President, vice president of Drama Club and active on the new Leadership Council, she is also active in music, theater, choir and counseling activities. She said that she loves to sing. In her short, informative presentation, Adrielle talked of her hopes to be accepted into at least one of the more prestigious universities such as Colorado College, Princeton, or Trinity. At present, she hopes to prepare for a career in counseling or teaching or working for a non-profit organization.

The Fort Collins Breakfast Club sponsored Adrielle to attend RYLA. Last year she served as a junior counselor and hopes to do so again this year. She said that RYLA changed her life and was the best experience she has had in her life.

January 2009


Shandice Stuntz
Bill West introduced, from Centennial High School, Shandice Stuntz, and the principal, Mike Roberts. She will graduate in just a few weeks. Shandice parents also graduated from Centennial. She moved here from Las Vegas, where she did not have a stellar academic record. She had a bad attitude to begin with and had anger issues. She was suprised that there was an interview process for students and the strictness of the Discovery Process that students go through. As she became a part of the school, she lost the attitude and was able to control her anger. She began to feel that everyone was a family and she will be emotional when she graduates on February 19. She has a straight A average, thanks to the urging of her teachers. She organized Centennial’s first dance; Penny Wars was a fund raiser to finance it. It will be held on February 13. She hopes to visit the school to help other new students.

December 2008


Gabrielle Lucero
Phyllis Abt introduced Gabrielle Lucero as the December Student of the Month. Gabrielle started by saying that she was passionate about people and then proved it by telling us the magnitude of activities she is involved in that deal with people. These activities include, school ambassadors, partners with and tutors for elementary students, sexual assault prevention team, key circles, group fellowship projects, letter writing to veterans, National Honor Society and student council; She wants to major in Women;s Studies and considering Georgetown University or Columbia University. Jan Bertholf congratulated her for the amount of “Service Above Self” actions as he and Phyllis presented her with the plaque.

October 2008


Allison Mecklenburg
Ron Stoops introduced the October Student of the Month, Allison Mecklenburg, a senior at Rocky Mountain High School. Allison started her short talk by thanking her family for their support and unconditional love. She has always been in the Poudre School System, first at Johnson Elementary and then at Weber Junior High. She tried the Poudre High School IB program, but said that the approach was not for her. She currently acts as a peer councilor for incoming students. Allison is and has been very involved in student government; she was president of her sophomore class, vice president of her junior class and again president of her senior class. As a volunteer, she has been involved at the Hospital since ninth grade and through her school she has been involved in blood drives, voter registration drives and Halloween oriented events for kids. She has applied at CSU and an art school in Savannah, Georgia. Being a graphic designer is her current career goal.

September 2008


Jamie Grim


Meredith Wheeler
Jamie Grim introduced Meredith Wheeler, a senior at Poudre High School, as the September Student of the Month. Meredith has lived in Fort Collins all of her 16 years. She said that her life has been dominated by two themes, internationalism and service. Those values were first instilled in her by her parents. From a young age, her mom would take her to the food bank and other non-profits. When younger, she said that she did not appreciate the value of service and would roll her eyes when her mom would insist she volunteer. She begrudgingly joined National Charity League (NCL), a mother daughter service organization, in the eight grade, but in high school NCL has been one of her primary focuses. She has had the opportunity to volunteer for a variety of organizations, but her primary commitment has been to the Fort Collins Museum. This year as president of the NCL council, she hopes to share her excitement for service with younger students and help them form lasting connections with local non-profits.

Meredith describes to us other service experiences and why and how living in Fort Collins has been such a benefit to her passions. She told us she was thinking about taking a year off from school to volunteer with a group called “City Year.” Then she expects to study Arabic and Hebrew to go along with her language skills in Spanish and German.