more History

by Daniel Garnsey --

This year's senior spotlight is being combined, since there's only two of us. It's finally the year that Kimberly Morton and myself will be graduating. Kimberly has been here in Valentine the longest between the two of us. She has been here ever since her Pre-K year all the way up to now. I, on the other hand, have done quite a bit of moving around. I was here my Kindergarten-1st grade years, and then moved to Seadrift, TX my 2nd grade year. My family and I then moved back to Valentine for my 3rd-4th grade years. Once my 5th grade year came around, my brother Latham and I moved to South Dakota for a year and lived with our aunt and uncle outside of a town called Parker. After that year, I came back to Valentine along with my brother, and have been a part of the Valentine student body ever since.

A few weeks ago our English teacher Mrs. Ranzau had some of her old students talk to Kimberly and I about what to expect when we get to college, and things to do. They were extremely helpful to us, and some of them even managed to convince us to apply at the colleges they were attending. One of the main things that the majority of them said, was that college is just like the 13th grade, if there were one. You just need to study a lot, and show up to classes. Kimberly and I gained a lot of information from them, and can't thank them enough.

For college, Kimberly plans on applying to Angelo State University, Texas Tech University, Texas State, and possibly the University of El Paso. She says that she wants to major in business, and after she is done with college she wants to attend a cosmetology school. "I'm really into that kind of stuff,” she says. "I just think that it's really interesting. I've always really liked it. The reason I want a business degree is so I can open my own beauty salon. Hopefully one day I'll be able to.”

I have applied to Texas Tech University, South Plains College, Sul Ross State University, New Mexico State University, Angelo State University, the University of Stephen F. Austin, Texas State University, and Midwestern University. I plan on majoring in History and Education, and then getting a minor in Coaching. After I'm done with college, I plan on going to the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Art School in Austin, TX. That's if everything goes good and nothing terrible goes wrong.

While attending college Kimberly hopes to be on intramural teams such as Basketball and Volleyball, and wants to try out for a spot as a cheerleader. "If I go to ASU I want to try out for a cheerleader spot,” Kimberly said. "They get paid $200 a month, so it would be a good thing. As for the intramural sports, I just really want to try all the things that I have never been able to play, like softball and volleyball.”

When I get accepted to one of the colleges that I've applied to, I plan on trying out for basketball. I have already sent letters to some coaches, so now all I have to do is just wait and see what happens. I also hope to be on some intramural teams such as football, ultimate frisbee, and maybe baseball. I like to try and participate in everything, so once I get to college there shouldn't be a problem finding things to get involved in.

Kimberly and I are extremely anxious to graduate and enter the adult world. Once we leave Valentine, we both say that we'll never come back. I've heard so many ex-students of Valentine say that, and yet a lot of them still come back. I can see either one or both of us coming back someday, because it really is inevitable.