JEFF FIELDER Editor
SCOTTSBLUFF – Ethan Strey, a senior at Scottsbluff High School, has been named First State Bank’s Male Student of the Week. He’s involved in National Honor Society and Educator’s Rising, which is a future educator’s program at SHS. Before this school year, he was also involved in Math Club and DECA. He volunteers at Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering, and he also volunteers for the local soup kitchen at WestWay Christian Church in Scottsbluff. His GPA is a 3.9. He wants to become a secondary education science teacher. His parents are Tammy and Kelly Strey.
Q: Of the activities you’re involved in, which one do you enjoy the most?
STREY: “I enjoy volunteering at Legacy of the Plains because it gives me an opportunity to meet people who are not from our area. I get to understand what their life is like in different states and even in different countries. We’ll get visitors from all over the world.”
Q: How long have you been a volunteer at Legacy of the Plains?
STREY: “A little over four years.”
Q: Why did you decide to become a volunteer at Legacy of the Plains?
STREY: “I got started there because of my family. My grandparents have been board members out there and have done numerous things there, even before the Legacy of the Plains came about. They were also part of the Farm & Ranch Museum.”
Q: What are your duties at the museum?
STREY: “It’s really just whatever they ask me to do. I’ll help at the front desk, answering phone calls. I also give tours. I work in the archives sometimes. I do a lot of different things there. I really enjoy it. The staff is really friendly. They get to know their volunteers, and they thank us each and every day that we’re out there. It’s just a real enjoyable experience for all the volunteers.”
Q: How are things going these days at Legacy of the Plains?
STREY: “Things are going really well. They just got done with Harvest Festival, and everything is going really well with the new director. I’m really pleased with how things are going.”
Q: You also volunteer at the soup kitchen at WestWay Christian Church. How did you get involved with that?
STREY: “One of my mom’s co-workers asked me if I would be interested in working at a soup kitchen. At that time, I really didn’t know how soup kitchens work, so I was kind of fascinated with that. I also wanted to give back to the community. I thought it would be a great opportunity for me. I’ve been doing it for about two years.”
Q: Has helping at the soup kitchen been kind of an eye-opening experience for you?
STREY: “Yes, it’s kind of been an eye-opening experience for me due to the fact that I can see people from all different economic ranges. It’s kind of connected me to people from different socioeconomic statuses. It kind of feels like one big family get together. It’s been a good experience getting to know those people.”
Q: How much are you enjoying being a senior?
STREY: “It’s been a really good year so far. I’m taking a lot of challenging courses because I need to get ready for college. I’m really looking forward to what the rest of this school year has in store. I’ve been trying to do everything I wanted to do while I’m in high school. I’m supporting all of the sports teams, going to most of the sports games for the Bearcats. I just want to do as much as I can while I’m still in high school in Scottsbluff.”
Q: Talk about how important grades are to you, and how special is it being part of National Honor Society?
STREY: “Grades have been really important to me since middle school. Since I started getting letter grades, I’ve always strived to get an ‘A.’ My freshman year in high school, I got my first ‘B,’ and I was very discouraged. But all my teachers were behind me and said, ‘Hey, it happens. Just push through those challenges, do the best you can, and enjoy school.’”
Q: What is your favorite class this year?
STREY: “My favorite class so far is my Intro to Professional Education course that I’m taking through WNCC with Robin Hayhurst. It’s really fun because it kind of fits how I learn. I’m more of a visual and audio learner, so the way she presents the content for the course really helps me fully understand what we’re learning every chapter.”
Q: Which teacher during your educational career has made the biggest influence on you?
STREY: “There’s a lot of teachers who have influenced me in a positive way. One of them is Bert Wright, who was the principal while I was attending Bluffs Middle School. He was kind of my first influencer into the life of education. He was very motivated, and I liked that about him. I wanted to follow in his footsteps. Then when I got to high school, I continued building myself as a future educator by talking with my teachers my freshman year. I ran into a really good teacher my freshman year, Mr. [Rob] Shoopman. Everything about him clicked with me – his personality, and his passion for teaching. He had time for every kid to get to know him personally. I think that is a very big, important part of the educational process. He helped and inspired every student to reach their goals in life.”
Q: Outside of your school activities, what do you like to do for fun?
STREY: “I keep up with a lot of baseball. Baseball is one of the main sports I love to watch. I started watching it about five years ago. I’ve been really following it here locally and also on the national level. Alongside baseball, I also play a lot of video games. The console I play on is the Xbox One. I also enjoy hanging out with friends.”
Q: Do you play sports yourself?
STREY: “I play coed softball during the summer.”
Q: Which baseball team do you like the best?
STREY: “The Colorado Rockies. Locally, my favorite team is the Western Nebraska Pioneers.”
Q: Have you attended many of the Pioneers’ games?
STREY: “I go to a lot of the Pioneers’ games. This year I didn’t get a chance to go to a Rockies’ game, but I did get to go to Arizona for my birthday, and I got to watch two Arizona Diamondback games. That was a really cool experience to see a different MLB stadium. It was just a whole different atmosphere, to be honest. As for the Pioneers, I went to a majority of their games this season and got to know some of the players real well. I was able to develop some good relationships with them. They’re still great friends of mine to this day. They said if I ever needed advice for college or anything, just let them know and they would be more than willing to help me.”
Q: In your opinion, how cool is it to have the Pioneers in our area?
STREY: “I think it’s a really great opportunity for people here, especially for the younger kids because it gives them a chance to have positive role models around here, especially if they’re into baseball. Throughout the season this year, the Pioneers invited different little league teams from around the area to attend their games. The players are so friendly, and they love to talk to those kids and teach those kids how to get better. I’m glad the Pioneers are here.”
Q: What are your plans after you graduate from Scottsbluff High School?
STREY: “I want to pursue secondary education in the science area. I’m planning to go to Chadron State College.”
Q: After you graduate from college, do you hope to land a teaching job in the WyoBraska area?
STREY: “Yes. I hope to come back and teach in the Scottsbluff district. But I’ll go wherever there’s a job opportunity.”
Q: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
STREY: “That’s a good question. I would say Runza.”
Q: What do you like to order there?
STREY: “I order chicken strips all the time. They know my order as soon as I walk in the door. They’re like, ‘Let me guess, it’s the usual?’ I say, ‘Yep.’”
Q: Do you have any siblings?
STREY: “I have one older brother. He’s about 30 years old. His name is Kellian Strey. He works at Miller’s Auto, which is a family-owned business that we’ve had for a while.”
If you would like to nominate someone for Nspire Today!’s Students of the Week, sponsored by First State Bank, you may do so by sending an email to jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com or by mailing a letter to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Nominations may also be submitted by sending a text to 308-220-8865.
In addition to being recognized online, students of the week will also be recognized in Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues) to the magazine, please send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. To pay with a credit card, please call 308-220-8865. If you would like to increase your subscription to $20, Nspire Today! will donate the extra $5 in October to the Panhandle Humane Society.
First State Bank has been a community bank for more than 80 years with locations in Scottsbluff, Gering and Colorado Springs. First State Bank’s new mortgage center has the convenience of applying online without giving up the personalized customer service people have come to expect. Visit www.fsbcentral.com to find out why when First State Bank says, ‘We’re Big on You,’ they mean it. Find First State Bank on Facebook at firststatebank1935.
