JEFF FIELDER Editor
SCOTTSBLUFF – Grace Michael, a 2021 Scottsbluff High School graduate, is Nspire Today!’s Female Student of the Month for July, sponsored by 16th Empire Restaurant in Scottsbluff. This past school year Michael was involved in National Honor Society (secretary), yearbook (editor), Bearcats Committed, DECA (vice president of marketing), drill team, and volleyball. She finished her senior year with a 4.189 GPA. Outside of school, she’s been involved with her youth group at Calvary Lutheran Church in Scottsbluff. Her sophomore and freshman years, she volunteered at the Western Nebraska Veterans Home in Scottsbluff, spending time with residents there, including playing bingo. Michael plans to attend the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where she wants to major in biological sciences. For a career, she wants to be a psychiatric PA. Her parents are Becky and Dr. William Michael. For being named a Student of the Month, Grace will receive a gift certificate for a free meal at 16th Empire Restaurant.
Q: How did your senior year go at Scottsbluff High School?
MICHAEL: “My senior year was so great. I’m so thankful for Scottsbluff High School and all the opportunities it gave me, especially this past year. I’m so glad we were able to have state competitions like state DECA, state journalism, and state drill team. Also, the teachers I had were so life-changing. They helped me in so many ways.”
Q: Describe how your entire high school career went overall.
MICHAEL: “I think one word that would describe my entire career is ‘abundance.’ I had abundant support from my coaches, teachers, and friends. I was also given abundant opportunities, and I loved being involved. I was always doing something, trying to help somewhere. My high school career was so much better and more memorable than I thought it would be.”
Q: How important is getting excellent grades to you?
MICHAEL: “I went into high school with a goal to get all A’s even though I wanted to take the hardest classes I could. So, grades have been really important to me. I give a lot of credit to my parents. They really stressed academics, and I agreed that academics should be my top priority. I spent many nights studying for hours, whether it was preparing for a test or writing papers. Another reason I was able to do well in school was because of the help my teachers gave me. I always went in before school or after school to get help. My teachers were so accommodating to me with my schedule. They always made it possible for me to come in and make up work that I missed because of activities that I was involved in.”
The entire Q&A with Michael is in the July 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 any time, any day of the week.
If you would like to nominate someone for Nspire Today!’s Athletes of the Week or Athletes of the Month, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, 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.
