JEFF FIELDER Editor
SIDNEY – Payton Schrotberger, a senior at Sidney High School, is Nspire Today!’s Female Student of the Month for January. She has a 3.8 GPA this school year, and she’s been recognized for her academic success. At the school’s Evening of Excellence celebrations, she was named the top student in her science class her freshman year and the top student in her weights class her junior year. In addition to performing well in the classroom, she excels in her extracurricular activities, including volleyball, basketball, track and field, HOSA, speech, and youth mentoring. In volleyball, she was on varsity for three years. She was named to the all-conference third team this past fall and the fourth team her junior year. In basketball, she’s a three-year starter. Last year she earned all-conference honorable mention honors. In track and field, she competes in the 100, 200, 4×100 and 4×400. She qualified for state last year in the 4×100 and 4×400. Outside of school, she’s involved at her church, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Sidney. She’s also worked as a lifeguard the last two years at Sidney’s city pool. After high school, she plans to attend the University of Nebraska at Kearney and pursue a degree in athletic training. Her parents are Todd Schrotberger and Ginger Palmer.
Q: How pleased are you with how things have been going academically in high school?
SCHROTBERGER: “School hasn’t come easy for me. I feel like I’ve had to work harder in school, especially in my math and science classes, than most students. I’m a more hands-on student, so I’ve had to go in after school to get a lot of help. I never want to go home after school not understanding what we’ve been taught. I want to go to school the next day feeling confident that I understand the material, so I put in that extra time and work.”
Q: What does that say about your drive to want to do really well in each class rather than just get by?
SCHROTBERGER: “I think it shows how serious I take school. I’ve really been into sports my whole life and have worked hard in my sports, but I’ve always understood that I’m a student first before an athlete. So, I’ve always tried hard to do well in school. Plus, getting good grades is another way for me to feel good about myself. In fact, if I get a really good grade on something, especially in a class that’s really challenging for me, that makes me feel more satisfied than doing something good in sports. I’m proud to say that I really care about school and that I put a lot of effort into my school work. Some kids are OK with whatever happens with their school work, but not me. I want to do the best I can.”
You can read the entire story in the Nspiring Youth section of the January 2024 issue of Nspire Today! magazine. A one-year subscription (12 issues) is only $20. You may sign up for a subscription by sending $20 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363, or you may pay with a credit card by calling 308-220-8907.
The current issue of Nspire Today! magazine is available at locations listed below.
