Rotary Student of the Month: Perseverance has helped her get accepted into dream schools

Morgan Peterson

Parents: Wendy Peterson, Daniel Peterson

Town: Elk River

List the activities you have participated in and tell of your proudest accomplishments:

Some of the activities I have participated in include playing on the Varsity Girls Lacrosse team, and Lacrosse Monkey’s nationally travelling club lacrosse team. I am also a member of Yellow Ribbon Club, National Honors Society, and Student Section Super Fans. I have also gotten the opportunity to coach youth lacrosse, participate on the homecoming court, and play in the State Lacrosse tournament.

One of my proudest accomplishments involves my perseverance in my classes, lacrosse, student clubs, and other extracurriculars paying off and getting accepted to both of my dream schools, the University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin!

What is your favorite class and why? What is your favorite subject?

My favorite class is my Human Physiology, Technology, and Medical Devices through the University of Minnesota. This class is my favorite because it challenges me in ways no other class has before. It gives me the opportunity to conduct hands-on labs, dissect specific organ systems, and collaborate with my classmates on challenging subjects.

My favorite subject is science! This is because of all of the activities we get to do that contribute to our knowledge base that are also fun and interesting.

What are your future plans?

My future plans are to attend the University of Wisconsin Madison or the University of Michigan! I plan to major in Biology on the pre-medical track, with hopes of finding a great career in the medical field where I can help people everyday.

What are your hobbies and/or personal interests?

Some of my hobbies include playing and coaching lacrosse. I am currently a member of the Elk River High School Varsity Girls Lacrosse team! I also have coached youth girls lacrosse in my past years and I plan to continue this coming summer.

I love to participate in extracurriculars that give me an opportunity to make a difference in my community! An example of this is cleaning up trash from the highways with Yellow Ribbon Club and making tie blanket for the animal shelter with National Honors Society.

I also enjoy drawing and writing to express myself and cover subjects that are important to me such as women’s rights and environmental health.

Who is your hero, if you have one, and why?

My hero is my mother, as she has always been such a strong role model and inspiration to me in my adolescent years. She has shown me that I can be whoever I want to be and she has supported me so much in every aspect of my life. She is my biggest cheerleader, my shoulder to cry on, and overall my best friend.

Tell of a most memorable experience that relates to school, personal interests or a hobby.

One of my most memorable experiences pertaining to my personal interests is making it to state for lacrosse both my sophomore and junior years!

My team and I persevered throughout our season and won the section finals to make it to the state tournament where we got 6th and 5th place! It was so surreal to be able to have such an amazing opportunity and face some of the best competition in the state of Minnesota and also to test our limits as a team and work harder than we ever had before.

How do you demonstrate leadership?

I demonstrate leadership through my positive attitude and my ability to give effort in all aspects of my life. I believe my positive attitude is something that is contagious, and if I approach a challenge with a positive attitude and a smiling face, others will do the same.

I also believe effort is the most important aspect when it comes to demonstrating leadership, especially while I am fulfilling my captain role on the girls lacrosse team. If I come to practice with all of my effort and play everyday like it might be my last, I can inspire and motivate my teammates to do the same.

How do you approach academics to achieve success?

I approach challenging academics with a positive attitude and an open mind. I enjoy learning new things and challenging my mind everyday, I know as long as I put in effort and use my time wisely to study I will be successful! If I face any subjects that I find too complicated to understand, my teachers are always very open to my questions and concerns and are very willing to help me in any way I need.

What special projects have you done, in or out of school?

One special project I have done with my Yellow Ribbon Club was adopting a highway next to Twin Lakes Elementary! A large group of both members and non-members of the club got together and spent about 2 hours walking up and down the highway collecting trash and properly disposing of it. This project is so special to me because it showed me how easy it is to make a difference and help the environment.

Why do you think you won this award?

I think I won this award because I am a very dedicated, hard working, and kind student. I challenge myself academically by taking many AP and college courses, while also having a part time job at a local business, Geared Up Apparel.

I also think I am being recognized for my participation in many extracurriculars such as Yellow Ribbon Club for mental health awareness and National Honors Society! I am a role model for younger students and I am a helpful and empathetic peer who always wants to help others and make the world a better place.

What does it mean to you?

Winning the award means so much to me as it is a symbol of all of the time, effort, patience, and dedication I have put into my years as a high school student. I am so grateful for this opportunity and for the people who have helped me get to where I am today!

I wouldn’t be here without the support and help from my parents, teachers, and peers!