Photo Provided By Deer Park Rotary Club
The high school students pictured from left to right are Carter Rich of Deer Park High School, Olivia Oergel and Emma Oergel of Riverside High School, and Charlee Zollman of Mary Walker High School.
The Deer Park Rotary Club members picked four students for February’s Student of the Month.
Deer Park School District
Principal Feist introduced Carter Rich, Deer Park’s February Student of the Month. Carter is a fantastic student who takes all the school’s college classes. He has taken a break from math due to high scores on every state test he’s taken. During the summer, Carter works at the Deer Park Golf Course. Carter introduced his parents, Heidi and Joel Rich, and thanked the Rotary Club for this opportunity. His favorite things at the high school are math and leadership in the Link Crew. Link Crew consists of juniors and seniors who set events for freshmen to help them through their first year in high school. Carter is one of only four, out of 50, who hold the rank of commissioner in Link Crew. His task as commissioner is setting up and directing the events Link Crew has laid out for the freshmen to help them with educational and social situations. Outside school, he enjoys reading and golfing with his friends and family. With spring sports coming up, Carter will, again, be taking his position as captain of the school’s golf team. He’ll also be working with Link Crew, teaching freshmen how to endure high school and how to have the proper priorities with their spring sports student athlete status. Carter has yet to decide on a university but is looking at Whitworth and Washington State. He plans to get his master’s degree in mathematics with a minor in secondary education and eventually have a career as a high school teacher. His history teacher, Mr. Wrigley, inspired him, and he wants to do the same for his future students.
Riverside School District
Riverside has two students of the month for February, twins Emma and Olivia Oergel. Principal Clint Hull introduced the girls saying they are similar but also really unique. He said what ties them together is that they’re both pretty awesome. Unfortunately, their parents could not attend the meeting with them, but they were very grateful for this opportunity. Emma holds a 4.0 GPA and has classes in AP Calculus, AP English, and Chemistry. She participates in ASB and National Honor Society as vice president. Outside of school, Emma also enjoys sports like volleyball and cheer. Olivia also holds a 4.0 GPA, is involved in the National Honor Society, and takes AP classes as well. Outside of school, she is involved in softball, basketball, and volleyball. She is on a travel softball team that’s given her the opportunity to go to many places, a highlight of her high school years. Emma is unsure about her future plans; she wants to study at a 4-year university, preferably out of state, and figure out what she likes and wants as a career. Olivia is going to California Lutheran University and will play softball there. She will study business and hopes to become an intern. Emma and Olivia have been at Riverside since kindergarten, and they love the small school atmosphere and the administration. They finished by thanking the club for honoring them as students of the month.
Mary Walker School District
Charlee Zollman, Mary Walker’s Student of the Month, was introduced by counselor Joe Garza. He said she is a natural-born leader and was the starting center on their volleyball team that finished fifth in the state. She is a leader on and off the court. Charlee introduced Darcy, her mother. Charlee goes to school in Springdale but lives in Chewelah on a farm that’s been in their family for five generations. They raise horses, cows, and hay. Her GPA is 3.8 and her favorite class is Shop. She loves welding and woodshop. She likes that welding opens the doors to trade school and then straight to work. Charlee has helped in food banks putting boxes together and planting flowers in the town for 4H. She’s held every office in 4H, is an officer in FFA, and has been since freshman year. She’s also an officer in ASB and class vice president for the past four years. Her favorite hobby is riding and training horses; she is currently working on breaking a horse. She shows steers, sheep, bunnies, and pigs, and her latest steer would let her ride him. She plays volleyball, basketball, and softball and has pitched since fifth grade. After high school, Charlee plans to get her Commercial Drivers License, drive a truck, make some money, and then return to school to get her teaching degree and become a teacher like her mom, sister, and cousin. Charlee tries to be super kind to everyone she meets and finds talking about herself uncomfortable.
What is the Deer Park Rotary Club?
The Rotary Club of Deer Park is about serving others, building relationships, and developing the next generation of leaders. Its annual fundraising events provide scholarships and educational activities for local students. In addition, every month they select and honor outstanding high school students within our community. Their programs are for more than just club members. For more information or how to make a difference in your community through Rotary, visit: DeerParkRotary.com.
