The Garden City Telegram
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Lakin — Elyssa Blackburn
Published 5/23/2009 in Youth In Excellence
Graduating senior Elyssa Blackburn said she hopes her peers don't forget her steadfast character.
"I'd want to be remembered for knowing who I am and what I stand for — and never compromising myself or my beliefs," she said in a questionnaire provided to The Telegram.
The lifetime Lakin student played basketball and volleyball and participated in School Site Council, band and pep band all four years of high school. Blackburn also took part in track and field in ninth grade, the yearbook and newspaper in 12th grade, and has volunteered for Big Brothers Big Sister of Finney and Kearny Counties during her senior year.
The 4.0 student is a member of the National Honor Society, a University of Kansas Scholar, placed fourth at the State Scholar's Bowl in ninth grade and second in 11th and 12th grades, was a Lakin High School Student of the Month in 10th grade, and has made the principal's honor roll all four years of high school.
"Our school had never placed above fourth at the state (Scholar's Bowl) meet, so placing second was quite an achievement and one of my fondest memories," Blackburn said.
In addition to her academic successes, the diversely-talented Blackburn plays alto, tenor, and bari saxophone, and the piano. The band and choir student also participated in show choir and three musicals, in addition to singing for her church choir.
She attributes her musical talents to her family.
"I've been around music my entire life, and it's sort of become an outlet for me," Blackburn said. "And I've greatly enjoyed spending time with the other members and growing relationships with them that I never would have had without it."
While music is one of her strengths, math is much trickier. Calculus is her least favorite subject, she said.
"The concepts can be extremely abstract and tough to grasp. I've learned a lot in there, but it's been quite a challenge," she said.
Blackburn plans to attend Kansas State University, but is not sure whether she wants to study education, music or journalism when she enrolls in Manhattan this fall.
With an undecided major, Blackburn's options are wide open, though she'll more than likely proceed with caution on the next chapter of her life, given the advice she has for incoming freshmen.
"If I could give them one piece of advice about high school, it would be to look both ways before you cross the street — sometimes, freshmen forget that," she said.
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