Colfax High School Graduating Class of 2021 Top 10 students

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COLFAX — Here are the Top 10 students of the Colfax High School Class of 2021, in order of their class ranking, and their answers in response to a questionnaire sent out by the Colfax Messenger.

Brynn Bergeson

Brynn Bergeson is the daughter of Tara Bergeson and Loren Bergeson.

• Top three favorite high school classes: My top three favorite classes during high school have to be Statistics, AP Biology, and Modern American History. These are my favorite classes because I really enjoy math and science so I found those classes to be very interesting and well worth my time. I enjoyed Modern American History because it is super interesting to learn about events that are very current in the course of the short history of America and how it may affect me in the future.

• Most memorable event: The most memorable event that happened to me during high school has to be  our junior prom at Borofka’s Barn. It was so beautiful there and definitely is going to be a prom to remember as it happened in the middle of COVID-19.

• Activities: I was involved in volleyball, dance, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), student council, and National Honor Society (NHS). My favorite activity would have to be dance because of all the good and fun memories I have made with that group.

• Summer plans: My plans after graduation are going to mostly consist of working to save money for college and spending time with my friends before we all have to part our different ways.

• Education plans: I am planning on attending the University of Minnesota and pursue a degree in Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering. I decided on this major because I loved math and science classes throughout high school and I wanted to take more classes like those in college. I also want to make the environment a better place and create more eco-friendly products to help our environment.

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your last year of high school? What would you like Messenger readers to know 100 years from now?

COVID-19 has definitely changed what I thought my last year of high school was going to look like but everyone tried to make the most of it. Even though we did not have a traditional homecoming, winter carnival, or banquets, the school tried their best to make this year as close to normal as they could. This experience really made me be grateful for how things were before COVID-19 because I never knew how much I would miss basic things that I would do on the daily such as a combined lunch or not wearing a mask every day.

• Anything else you would like readers to know?

I would like the readers to know that I am grateful for all the support the community has given throughout the years of my time in high school from attending high school sports events to supporting the students through this tough time.

Abigail Irwin

Abigail Irwin is the daughter of Dave and Kris Irwin.

• Top three favorite high school classes: Advanced Placement (AP) English taught me how to be confident in my writing and it made me feel more prepared for college. I enjoyed Food Science because we cooked and baked food while learning about the science behind each recipe. Also, Global Science was always fun because we would often go outside to learn about nature, which made me look forward to that hour of the day.

• Most memorable event: A memorable moment during high school was being crowned prom queen along with Kyle Krall who was crowned prom king during our junior year prom. We were able to have prom in a barn last summer which made it super special and definitely one to remember.

• Activities: I was involved in student council, NHS, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), basketball, and volleyball. I really enjoyed playing basketball and volleyball throughout high school because I was able to make so many new friendships. It was great to be part of a team that supported each other through everything, especially this year during the pandemic.

• Summer plans: I am super excited to babysit for a family in Colfax again this summer since it was a great experience last year. I also plan to relax and spend time with friends and family before leaving for college in the fall.

• Education plans: In the fall I plan to attend UW-La Crosse to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher. I really enjoy babysitting and I have always loved working with kids so that is definitely a career path that I could see myself taking.

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your last year of high school? What would you like Messenger readers to know 100 years from now?

COVID-19 has significantly impacted our senior year at Colfax in many ways, but it has also made our bond as a class even stronger. We weren’t able to have normal sporting events, concerts, or banquets, but we learned to appreciate how much effort the school put in to make those events happen as best as they could. We knew that there was a possibility of switching to online school at any moment, so we worked hard to follow the guidelines to make sure our school year was as normal as it could be, and I know it paid off!

Katie Riley

Katie Riley is the daughter of Steve and Jackie Riley.

• Top three favorite high school classes: In high school, one of my favorite classes was Advanced Biology. I really like all the hands-on lab work that I got to do, plus biology is a very interesting subject to learn about. Another class that I enjoyed was Modern American History. History is a fascinating topic to talk about and there are so many stories and lessons to learn from it. Spanish is an additional class that I loved to take. Learning the Spanish language along with the culture of Spanish-speaking countries is very eye-opening.

• Most memorable event: One of the most memorable moments of high school for me was qualifying for Dance Team State. Every year that I have qualified stands out to me in its own way. I know that the team and I work very hard to make sure that we can perform our very best every time. Qualifying for state gives the strong feeling of “we made it”.

• Activities: Some of the activities that I am involved in are the Colfax Dance Team, the musical, National Honor Society, student council, band, and choir. It is hard to choose a favorite activity, but I would have to pick the Colfax Dance Team. So much time and energy goes into making a successful season, and there is a strong sense of teamwork as well.

• Summer plans: This summer, I will be spending most of my time working and making sure that I am ready for college.

• Education plans: Next year, I plan on attending the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities for biomedical engineering. I chose this major because it seems like it is a great combination of subjects that I am interested in and passionate about. For example, it combines biology with engineering and math to create devices that will help the medical field in the future.

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your last year of high school? What would you like Messenger readers to know 100 years from now?

The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely reshaped what I thought senior year would look like. Many things that I would have loved to attend in person are virtual. For instance, Dance State, Solo and Ensemble, most of the music concerts, and college tours all were held through a screen. The pandemic has added to the stress in the minds of every senior this year. However, with the support of family, friends, and teachers, I can confidently say that this year is one for the books. One hundred years, to me, seems like a long ways away. I am not sure what the future will bring in 100 years, but I want people that read this newspaper to know that it is important to be loving and accepting of everyone around them, especially in trying times. Be open to new ideas and all the new changes that come with life.

Brooklyn Stehling

Brooklyn Stehling is the daughter of Linda and Greg Stehling.

• Top three favorite high school classes: My top three favorite high school classes were Medical Terminology, Statistics, and Food Science. Medical Terminology was a very fun and interesting class from which I learned a lot of basic terminologies that will be useful in the future. It was also super interesting to try and pronounce some of the names. Statistics was the math class I chose to take this year and I am very glad I took it because it is a complicated class, but that’s what makes finishing a problem so satisfying. Food Science was a class where I could connect to the teacher, and she made it a super fun class that I looked forward to every day.

• Most memorable event: The most memorable moment in high school for me was the night of our high school bonfire at the Colfax Fairgrounds. Our class was supposed to make a skit of some kind for a mini “talent show” that would later be voted on, but the people in our class ended up not doing it. When our class was called, no one stood up, but then Brynn Bergeson got up and basically shouted that she would do it. She also forced me into it with her, so she and I got up on the stage and lip-synced to the song “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. We used to sing this song all of the time in our cars so we thought it would be the perfect one. Although it was pretty embarrassing, it was honestly a super fun experience and something that I will remember forever.

• Activities: I was involved in many activities throughout high school, all of which I enjoyed very much. I participated in volleyball for four years, the dance team for three years, student council for four years, National Honor Society for three years, and was a senior class officer for one year. My favorite activity was split between volleyball and dance. I was in volleyball from freshman year to senior year and enjoyed every single year of it. I loved that our team was able to connect to each other and have meaningful memories that I will have for the rest of my life. I joined the dance team sophomore year after my friend basically forced me to try out with her, but it was definitely a good decision. I had so much fun at every practice and the people on the team were so good at making it welcoming to everyone who joined. We had many long and sleepless nights before competitions where we would be so sleep-deprived that we just lay on the floor waiting for our chance to perform or for our results. I will be sad to leave both of these teams and wish them the best of luck next year!

• Sumer plans: This summer after graduation I will continue to work for Vino Cappuccino where I worked last summer for about three months. I really enjoy working at Vino because it has an amazing atmosphere and awesome food/beverages so I would recommend going there to eat! I also plan on traveling and going on many camping trips with friends and family before I leave for college in the fall and won’t see them as much.

• Education plans: I am committed to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and I will be studying hearing-language-speech sciences, with a goal of entering the career of speech pathology. I chose this field because it creates relationships with many types of people and their challenges. You are able to connect to your patients on a personal level, which I think is awesome. The reason I chose this field is because I have always loved helping others and knew that it was something I would want to do for the rest of my life.

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your last year of high school? What would you like Messenger readers to know 100 years from now?

I think COVID-19 definitely had a huge impact on our senior year as a whole. I think the thing that was most difficult was all of the senior activities that we missed out on. Ever since we were freshmen we would always look up to the seniors and wonder when our turn would be. Senior year is supposed to be “the best year of high school” and your most memorable one. Although we definitely made lots of memories this year I think we could have made even more if it weren’t for COVID.

Quinn Russell

Quinn Russell is the son of Steve Russell and Kobi Shaw

• Top three favorite high school classes: In no particular order, “World History,” “American History,” and “Choir,” these were my favorite classes because I found that I enjoyed the subject matter and how the class was taught.

• Most memorable event: My most memorable moment would be when Dennis Sonnentag ran straight into a wall during a dizzy bat race during Winter Carnival.

• Activities: Involved in band, choir, basketball (2 years), FBLA, NHS, student council and the school musical. My favorite would be the musical because of the other students involved as well.

• Summer plans: I plan to continue working at Kwik Trip over the summer.

• Education plans: I plan to attend St. Norbert in De Pere, Wisconsin. I am currently undecided in a major, but I have interest in History and Mathematics.

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your last year of high school? What would you like Messenger readers to know 100 years from now?

COVID did not really affect my senior year, during my junior year, it had much more of an impact, when we were all sent home, we had no idea that we were going to be virtual for the rest of the year, it was very hard to transition to something new to all of us.

Adeline Paulson

Adeline Paulson is the daughter of Troy and Rebecca Paulson.

• Top three favorite high school classes: My top three favorite classes in high school were Women’s and Gender Studies, Advanced Algebra, and Medical Terminology. Women’s and Gender Studies was a college course and the topics in the class required an open and mature mind. I was able to be treated like an adult, have adult conversations with my classmates and professor, and was able to form my own adult opinions. Advanced Algebra was one of my favorites because I love setting up equations and finding the solutions, and my teacher, Mrs. Seston, made the subject incredibly easy through her teaching style. Medical Terminology was also a college course taught by one of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Neuburg. I was amazed with how quickly my classmates and I picked up all of the terms and we all thought it was so cool that we could understand words that, before the class, we couldn’t even pronounce!

• Most memorable event: My most memorable event in high school was in freshman year when we went on a canoe trip on the Mississippi River with Mr. Dombrowski. I was really excited for it because it was our first trip that we were trusted to be on our own. However, the trip was extremely memorable because the canoe that two of my friends and myself were in flipped. I remember swimming for our phones, shoes, food, water bottles, and the canoe itself. After what seemed like an hour, though, we got the canoe flipped, dumped out the water, and were on our way down the river again, this time soaking wet. We laugh about it still and blame it on the fact that we had three people in a two person canoe.

• Activities: I was involved in band, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), NHS, FCCLA, student council, mentoring, and powerlifting in high school. My favorite one though was FCA. We would meet every Friday morning before school in the Home Economics room, eat lots of donuts, and read passages in the Bible and relate them to our own lives and how they related to the week we had. It was the perfect way to end the school week on a good note and was something to look forward to throughout the week.

• Summer plans: My plans for this summer include a lot of working and spending as much time with my friends as I can. I have quite a few jobs for the summer including babysitting, cleaning at Midwest Physical Therapy and Fitness Center in Bloomer, catering for Billy’s Grill and Catering in Bloomer, and also catering and working the cafe at KP Katering in Eau Claire.

• Education plans: I am planning on going to UW-Stout in the fall and have been accepted into the dietetics program. I have always loved cooking, especially making meals in a way that is both unique and healthy for my family. I have also helped a few of my family members with starting new eating habits and even meal prep for my great aunt. I want to go to college for dietetics to be able to have the experience and credentials needed to be a food coach and would love to meal prep and create sustainable eating habits for people for a career.

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your last year of high school? What would you like Messenger readers to know 100 years from now?

The COVID-19 pandemic has made a very different senior year from the one I always thought I would have. Almost all of the activities I watched previous senior classes do were cancelled or extremely different and things that we usually looked forward to like class competitions, activities, hall decorating, and random treats couldn’t happen. I also was very disappointed that I couldn’t do things like FCA and FCCLA my last year, especially because seniors usually get to make a lot of the decisions. However, not being able to do all of these things made me really appreciate the things we could do. We were still able to have dress up days for spirit weeks, something I always loved doing, we got to have a few banquets, and we mainly were able to see each other again and at least spend our last year in person. If I could tell readers 100 years from now one thing, it would be that even when you maybe are struggling through something, it will give you an appreciation for even the littlest positive things, something that can be so helpful and important in life.

Drew Gibson

Drew Gibson is the son of Gene and Connie Gibson.

• Top three favorite high school classes: My favorite classes have been Modern American history, Spanish, and Health, all because of my relationships with all of those phenomenal teachers, especially Mr. Davison.

• Most memorable event: My most memorable moment was when I had the opportunity to sing the national anthem before our sectional playoff basketball game my sophomore year. There were over a thousand people in attendance, so being able to sing in my jersey in front of such a supporting community was a surreal experience.

• Activities: Baseball, basketball, football, choir, chamber choir, Drama Club, FBLA, student council, NHS, and the Athletic Leadership Club. I’ve never been quite able to wrap my mind around an exact favorite, but more so that my favorite nights were an array of activities. While it didn’t always present me with many opportunities to sleep in or take a night off, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

• Summer plans: This summer will be filled with a lot of work at the Cenex, umpiring Little League games, and taking care of the Tom Prince fields. Outside of work, I will be playing lots of slow pitch softball, and spending time with friends and family before I head off to college next year.

• Education plans: I am planning on attending the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the fall to major in Elementary Education, as well as minor in coaching, and hopefully adding a degree in Entrepreneurship down the road. Teachers and coaches have played such a pivotal part of my life that I hope to pass down the wisdom that was passed down to me, and someday I would love to start a side business that could possibly coincide with coaching and/or teaching.

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your last year of high school? What would you like Messenger readers to know 100 years from now?

It has definitely been an underwhelming experience. The cheers from the stands weren’t as loud, no field trips were had, and many laughs and experiences were missed out on. But in the end, this is still a fantastic ending to our Colfax schooling experience. I would have loved to have had a normal homecoming, or a day without masks, but what really matters is being capable of enjoying the experiences till available with those around us.

• Anything else you would like readers to know?

We greatly appreciate the support from our community during these different times.

Jaclyn Olson

Jaclyn Olson is the daughter of Steve and Ann Olson.

• Top three favorite high school classes: Advanced Biology was one of my favorite classes because it was hands-on, so I had the privilege to have many learning experiences from going to a cadaver lab to raising fruit flies. I also enjoyed AP English Literature because I enjoy reading poems, novels, and short stories and finding the deeper meanings within them. Lastly, choir was a class that I appreciated having the opportunity to take all four years of high school. Choir is a class where we are like a family, there is never a dull moment, but we all have individual talents that make our choir great.

• Most memorable event:  My most memorable moment in high school was Winter Carnival, my junior year. It was memorable because it was one of the last major events that we had before the pandemic hit. Our class worked hard to win the spirit award. I think winning the spirit award is something every class strives to achieve at least once in their high school career and it is something I will remember for a long time.

• Activities: In my freshman and sophomore years of high school I was on the powerlifting team, but junior and senior year I joined the cross country team which I enjoyed very much. Throughout high school I have been involved in several clubs including student council, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and National Honor Society(NHS). My favorite activity that I participated in was cross country because it was rewarding and there is a lot of work to be put in, but it taught me a lot of mental toughness that will help me in the future.

• Summer plans:  This summer I will be preparing for my graduation party and working for my brother-in-law Chad Nelson at Blue Ribbon Signs and Trophies or I may work at the Colfax Health and Rehabilitation Center.

• Education plans: I am attending Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the fall of 2021 and pursuing a major in psychology. Psychology is something that I found a love for after taking an introductory college psychology class fall of 2020.

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your last year of high school? What would you like Messenger readers to know 100 years from now?

COVID-19 has created a lot of unpredictability in my senior year of high school, but it has not stopped me from creating new memories and finishing out my high school experience on a good note.

• Anything else you would like readers to know?

I enjoyed my years at Colfax High School, I created memories with my friends, made new friends and many other fun experiences with my fellow classmates. High school is something that I am ready to finish, but I do not regret a single bit of it, not the late nights doing homework, stressful tests, or high school drama. I am excited to be starting a new chapter in my life at college pursuing a career in something that I am passionate about.

Anna Geissler

Anna Geissler is the daughter of Rick and Jillyn Geissler.

• Top three favorite high school classes: Spanish: I enjoyed taking Spanish four years because of the insane positive wave of inclusiveness I got when in the class. Modern American History: I liked being able to have a sense of individualism and I was able to say what I thought. Chemistry: I really like science as a whole and this class was pretty fun to be in.

• Most memorable event: Flipping my canoe on the freshman canoe trip and temporarily losing my shoe. It was a very funny experience to look back on although it wasn’t very funny originally.

• Activities: Basketball in freshman year; softball all four years; volleyball is my favorite activity because the team I had was very exciting to play with. I also started volunteering at a local church with my grandma.

• Summer plans: I plan to spend the summer spending time with my friends for the last time before heading to college far away.

• Education plans: I plan to attend college at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, US. I will be majoring in interior design. I decided on this major because I really like using creativity in a practical way and I feel that this is a good choice.

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your last year of high school? What would you like Messenger readers to know 100 years from now?

I would love to blame the pandemic on every shortcoming that I’ve had in the last year, but I cannot. It is a learning experience for the rest of my life that I need to make the most out of every small gathering that I can. The world changes every day and we as people change with it. Quit trying to live in the past. It’s not helping your future.

Caden Erickson

Caden Thomas Erickson is the son of Cal and Kellie Erickson.

• Top three favorite high school classes: Biology/ Global Sciences — I have always been interested in the outdoors and how our ecosystems are affected by humans. Chorus — Singing has always been something that I have loved and the choral ensembles at Colfax have included some of my most memorable experiences in high school. Band — The playing of an instrument was how I got involved with music and band has helped me understand and interpret music. Band has always been a class that I can look forward to and is never not interesting.

• Most memorable event: When I think of my most memorable event that happened to me while in high school, the day I signed my letter of intent to play college baseball ranks #1. The reason being is that it is the moment of an accumulation of hard work, dedication, and sacrifices throughout the last 10 years of my life. I know that my baseball journey is not over yet, but that has to be my most memorable moment.

• Activities: concert band, jazz band, pep band, marching band, chorus, chamber choir, show choir, student council, Student Athlete Club, school musicals, NHS, FBLA, baseball, basketball, Letter Club, transcripted college credits, summer basketball, summer baseball, fall baseball. It is hard to chose a favorite high school activity when they all played such large roles in my development.

• Summer plans: This summer I plan on working at Pleasant Valley Tree Farm shearing Christmas trees and also playing travel baseball on the weekends and week nights.

• Education plans: I will be attending Hamline University and will being going for a bachelor of science degree in Environmental Studies. I chose Environmental Studies because I have always loved the outdoors and all of its corresponding counterparts. I hope to have a career full of outdoor adventure and analysis to help solve the issues that continually appear within our ecosystems.

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your last year of high school? What would you like Messenger readers to know 100 years from now?

Although COVID-19 has made my senior year unpredictable, it has made me think of memorable experiences more thoughtfully with how we should never take the simple things in life for granted. I am grateful that I was able to have a senior year and to have enjoyed it with my friends and that is something I will forever cherish. One hundred years from now I want readers to to take a step back and think about their life thus far, I want them to think about the impactful moments and the moments that might have meant near to nothing. I hope that whoever reads this has been gracious to those that have helped you develop and those who have been there for you in a time of need and to take chances in life and never regret a thing.

• Anything else you would like readers to know?

Throughout my four years of high school, I was always busy, always doing the extra little things that I knew would help me somewhere down the road: athletically, musically, extracurricularly, etc. Although those four years were stressful occasionally and made me question myself and why I was doing these “extra” things, they have truly helped the development my character, work ethic, and patience. The teachers and friends I have met along the way have made these experiences so enjoyable, even if the actual experience wasn’t. I owe all the knowledge, manners, and life lessons that I have learned to these people and I can say with a full heart, those “extra” experiences made high school a fantastic and fun experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.