JEFF FIELDER Editor
MITCHELL – John Plasencio, a senior at Mitchell High School, has been named Nspire Today!’s Male Student of the Month for January, sponsored by 16th Empire Restaurant in Scottsbluff. He’s involved in football, One Act, show choir, choir, FBLA, Striv, speech, musical, student council (president), Tigers Committed, and National Honor Society. He’s also his class president, and he has a 4.0 GPA. In addition to his school activities, he works at RedZ Bar & Grill as a cook. After graduating from high school, John plans to attend WNCC on a choir scholarship. He then plans to continue his education at a culinary school in Colorado. His parents are Abel and Amber Plasencio. For being named a student of the month, Plasencio will receive a gift certificate for a free meal at 16th Empire Restaurant.
Q: How has your senior year been going?
PLASENCIO: “It’s been going pretty good. We had to quarantine for a couple weeks after the high school football playoffs, so that made things a little more difficult to stay focused. But other than that, things have been going pretty well.”
Q: Talk about how important getting good grades are to you.
PLASENCIO: “It’s very important. Getting good grades, I think, comes down to having a great work ethic. I think that’s my number one attribute – my work ethic. If you want to be prosperous, you need to have a good work ethic.”
Q: Has it been a challenge to keep your grades high while participating in many activities at school and also working at RedZ Bar & Grill?
PLASENCIO: “During the football season, I struggled a little to keep my grades up just because I was physically exhausted. But I just had to keep going. I’ve tried to do my best at everything.”
Q: Up to this point, what’s been your top academic achievement in high school?
PLASENCIO: “Two things stick out in my mind. First, when I was a sophomore, I was the district champ in serious prose, and I went to state. I didn’t get to go to state last year due to COVID. The other highlight was making it to the state football playoffs this season for the first time since 2008. I’m really proud that we accomplished that – along with going 8-1 during the regular season.”
The entire Q&A with Plasencio is in the January 2021 issue of Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues), you may send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Please include your name, address, phone number, and email. You may also sign up with a credit card by calling 308-220-8865 anytime, any day of the week.
To find a list of locations where Nspire Today! magazine is sold, look at the picture below.
16th Empire is a family restaurant that’s located at 1605 Ave. A in downtown Scottsbluff. They offer a wide variety of food, including pastas, wings, salads, burgers, steaks, appetizers, desserts, and more. 16th Empire prides itself on serving 100 percent Nebraska beef. Most dishes can be made low carb. Customers may pay online at www.16thempire.com. Daily specials can be found on its Facebook page. Happy Hour runs from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Also, on Mondays from 5-9 p.m. kids meals are 50 percent off with a paying adult. 16th Empire’s hours are the following: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; and 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. They’re closed on Sundays.
