She’s also been named a Valedictorian of the Class of 2020.

“I’ve always set high standards for myself when it comes to my grades, and I kept that mindset when I started high school,” Schaefer said. “Becoming Valedictorian was a motivating factor for me in my schoolwork especially as I got closer to the end of high school.”

The last eight weeks of high school did not look like she expected it to.

“When I was still going to school, I really enjoyed spending time with friends during all of my extracurriculars, especially marching band, and during school,” she said. 

“The last eight weeks have definitely been less stressful as I’ve been much less busy, but in this case I wish I would have been busier. Graduation doesn’t seem like as big or important of an event since the gym will be empty.”

Schaefer will move on to the University of Illinois to study Environmental Economics & Policy. She hopes to pursue a career implementing sustainable practices into businesses.

Looking back, Schaefer said she’s been lucky to have gone through a rigorous and supportive program at St. Joseph-Ogden.

“My teachers were all very supportive and helpful if I ever needed anything,” she said. “My family was also supportive of me and let me focus on schoolwork. They all made my high school experience a lot better and I’m grateful for them.”

In a school that is small enough to know everybody and big enough to meet a lot of different types of people, Schaefer participated in band, scholastic bowl, drama, National Honor Society, Spanish club, Rube Goldberg club, and We the People.

“During my senior year of marching band, we placed third or better in each of our competitions. At the We the People Competition, we placed second. It’s important to get involved because you can make lots of friends or become closer with friends you already have,” she said.

There is one lesson that Schaefer will take with her as she moves forward.

“I will remember to not take anything for granted and how important it is to work hard but also have fun,” she said. 

The post Jenna Schaefer credits hard work on road to becoming Valedictorian first appeared on SJO Daily.

Illinois State Scholars must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen who is also a resident of Illinois. The student must attend an approved high school, take the ACT or SAT between Aug. 1 and June 30 before the third semester of high school graduation, perform in the top one-half of the high school class at the end of the third semester prior to graduation and/or score at or above the 95th percentile on the ACT or SAT. They must also graduate from the high school during the academic year in which they were chosen as State Scholar.

The post St. Joseph-Ogden High School Illinois State Scholars first appeared on SJO Daily.