JEFF FIELDER Editor
SCOTTSBLUFF – Payson Haught, a senior at Scottsbluff High School, has been named Nspire Today!’s Female Student of the Week, sponsored by First State Bank. She’s involved in National Honor Society, volleyball and drill team. Her GPA is 3.8. Her parents are Paul and Ronda Haught.
Q: Which school activity do you enjoy participating in the most?
HAUGHT: “Drill team. I feel like we’re a close team since we spend so much time together. Our season never really stops.”
Q: Have you been involved in dancing for quite awhile?
HAUGHT: “I was involved in dance from when I was about 4 years old until I was in seventh grade.”
Q: Talk a little more about the hard work that goes into being part of the drill team.
HAUGHT: “We practice every morning at 6:30, and we practice on Saturdays, too, sometimes. We might also have a practice on game days.”
Q: Do you feel like being involved in drill team has helped you mature as a person?
HAUGHT: “I think it’s definitely helped me become more organized because since I’m always so busy, I have to make sure I get all my stuff done. I have to stay organized so I don’t fall behind with turning in my assignments.”
Q: What has been the drill team’s biggest accomplishment since you’ve been part of the program?
HAUGHT: “Probably winning state last year because it was our 12th win [in a row]. It was really exciting because I feel like everyone is kind of waiting for us to not win.”
Q: When is the state competition?
HAUGHT: “This year it’s Feb. 21 in Grand Island.”
Q: How do you think the drill team will fare at this year’s state competition?
HAUGHT: “We’re hoping to win again and make it the 13th time, and then at nationals that next week in Florida, we would like to make it to finals.” Editor’s note: The SHS drill team competes in Class B High Kick.
Q: How does this year’s team compare to last year’s squad that won state?
HAUGHT: “This year we have 10 seniors and only three juniors, so we’re all pretty experienced with state and how it goes. Also, our juniors catch on really fast. They can learn a dance in just a couple days.”
Q: Why did you decide to participate in drill team?
HAUGHT: “I kind of just did it on a whim. Some of my friends were doing it, so I thought, ‘I might as well try it, and if I don’t make it, it will be OK.’”
Q: You also played volleyball. How did the volleyball season go?
HAUGHT: “Our team had a lot of fun, and the coach is awesome. We weren’t as successful as we wanted to be, but it was a fun growing year, for sure.”
Q: What position did you play?
HAUGHT: “I was a back row defensive player.”
Q: How many years did you play volleyball?
HAUGHT: “All four years of high school.”
Q: You’re also involved in National Honor Society. How much do you enjoy being part of that group?
HAUGHT: “It’s a pretty big deal to me. I’ve always gotten good grades. That’s always been my expectation – to get good grades.”
Q: What’s been your most challenging class in high school?
HAUGHT: “Pre-calculus.”
Q: What is your favorite class this year?
HAUGHT: “I’m not sure, but last year my favorite class was AP chemistry.”
Q: During your educational career, which teacher do you feel has made the biggest influence on you?
HAUGHT: “Either Mrs. [Jen] Harre or Mr. [Nicholas] Goranson. Mr. Goranson was my chemistry teacher, and he’s just super passionate about it. He wants all of us to succeed. He makes the subject fun. AP chemistry doesn’t really sound like a fun thing to learn about, but he makes it fun. We would have fun labs. With Mrs. Harre, she really cares about all of us, too. She’s like a mom to all of the students. Anytime we see her in the hall, she gives us a hug, She teaches our medical classes, which can be kind of tough at times, but she makes the subjects fun and easy to learn about.”
Q: What are your plans after you graduate from high school?
HAUGHT: “I’m going to UNL to major in biology.”
Q: Why did you decide to major in biology?
HAUGHT: “Because I want to be an eye doctor.”
Q: Why did you pick UNL?
HAUGHT: “It’s far away from home, but it’s still close enough to home.”
Q: What got you interested in becoming an eye doctor?
HAUGHT: “I don’t really know. I just think the eyes are really interesting and cool, and there’s a lot of different things you can learn about the eyes. I’ve been wearing contacts and glasses since I was in kindergarten, so I think it’s interesting how everybody’s eyes age differently.”
Q: How much have you enjoyed growing up in the Scottsbluff community?
HAUGHT: “I like it a lot. I like the small town feeling because everybody knows everyone, and everybody wants everybody to succeed in life.”
Q: Outside of your school activities, what do you like to do for fun?
HAUGHT: “I like to be with friends and family.”
Q: What is your favorite type of music?
HAUGHT: “I like pretty much anything, but I especially like country and alternative.”
Q: What is your favorite TV show?
HAUGHT: “Gilmore Girls.”
Q: What is your favorite local restaurant?
HAUGHT: “Rosita’s. They have the best salsa.”
Q: What do you think is the coolest attraction in the WyoBraska region?
HAUGHT: “I would say the Monument because Nebraska and Wyoming are mostly flat, but then you have this big Monument in the middle of nowhere.”
Q: Who do you think is one of the kindest students at Scottsbluff High School?
HAUGHT: “Brisa Rios. She’s a senior. Anytime I see her, she always has a smile on her face, and she always says ‘Hi’ to me in the halls. She always knows what to do to make me laugh.”
Q: What’s the most exciting place you’ve traveled to?
HAUGHT: “Orlando, Florida. We went there last year for nationals. We were there for four or five days. We went to the beach one day, and we went shopping another day. Also, one day we got to go to either Universal or Disney World.”
Q: So which one did you pick – Universal or Disney World?
HAUGHT: “Universal.”
Q: If you could give a shoutout to one local business, which one would it be and why?
HAUGHT: “Jax. They make the best coffee, and the people who work there are always so nice, even if it’s 6:30 in the morning.”
Q: Do you have any siblings?
HAUGHT: “I have a younger brother, Wyatt. He’s a sophomore.”
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.
