#1StudentNWI: Leaves fall as leaders grow at Kouts High School

#1StudentNWI: Leaves fall as leaders grow at Kouts High School

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Sunday, September 25 was the induction ceremony for East Porter Honor Society (EPHS) held in the Kouts High School (KHS) auditorium.

20 students were inducted that evening. They were in alphabetical order: Ava Aguirre, Spencer Andrews, Japheth Anweiler, Alexandra Burrick, Alivia Carlson, Lane Evans, Anna Feddeler, Cassie Follmer, Kassidy Gregory, Riley Hoffman, Daniel Kneifel, Zoe Kneifel-Mendenhall, Lauren Koedyker, Gabriel Matthes, Lauren McGriff, Olivia Miller, Katelyn Murray, Ava Reyes, Macie Sanders, Chase Snyder, and Jenna Johacki.
The evening began with president Anyssa Heinold welcoming everyone to the event, followed by the reading of the pillars of EPHS conducted by the officers. The scholarship was read by Vice President Jesslyn Gudeman.

Treasurer Reese DeYoung read Leadership. Lauren Maxwell, the secretary, read Service, and Heinold read Character.

Then it was time for the induction ceremony: the inductee was introduced by a second-year member and the inductee lit a candle representing their commitment.

Staff spotlight

Elizabeth Chatwell has been a teacher at KHS since 1993, but being a teacher wasn’t the first career that she thought about pursuing.

“Teaching wasn't my first choice of profession. Originally, I considered nursing. Then I dabbled in psychology and advertising. But I could never see myself in any of those roles. I come from a family of educators, so that felt like home. I've had some remarkable teachers in my life, teachers I try to emulate. I had some wonderful teachers when I attended Immanuel Lutheran School; they let me read anything I could get my hands on: Judy Miller, Judy Nagel, and Robert Boetel. Then at Valpo High School, I love my English classes with Judith Lebryk. I hope my teaching honors them,” she said.

Chatwell teaches English 10 to sophomores, English 12 to seniors, and AP Literature. Soon enough these students will be crossing the stage and graduate. If there was anything that Chatwell wanted students to learn from her class it would be to get comfortable with getting comfortable.

“Hard work can also be incredibly satisfying. There is value in the struggle. Eavan Boland captured this idea perfectly: ‘If I defer the grief, I diminish the gift.’ Despite wanting to save my students from the struggle, I have to let them sit with it, argue, and feel the frustration. And then later their success and joy can be so gratifying, and it can be their own” she said.

It is clear that Chatwell cares deeply for her students and teaching is truly her passion.

Student spotlight

David Heinold, a senior at KHS, is the newly elected student body president of the KHS student council and he gave his insights on being a member of the student council and holding a leadership role in it as an officer.

“I think we have a lot of really great people at Kouts but they just don't get a chance to use their skills, so I ran for student body president to try and make some improvements and changes to the overall culture of our school for the better,” he said.

There’s a lot going on behind the scenes of running an entire council that most people wouldn’t know about, but Heinold has it boiled down to a key point.

“As student body president, I have a number of responsibilities, but my main job is to guide the council through any problems throughout the year and to help anywhere I am needed to make everything happen," he said.
Heinold plans on taking the skills he has learned from the council with him on his journey through life.

“I will take the knowledge and skills that I have learned throughout my years in council to help me work harder, listen to the needs of others, and lead in a way that will make me effective in whatever I do after high school and college,” he said.

For now, though, the KHS student council is in capable hands.