September Students of the Month
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| Senior Natalyn Rood, 17, of Amboy, is Amboy High School's September Student of the Month. She plans to become a biomedical engineer. (Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukval) |
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Senior Natalyn Rood, 17, is Amboy High School’s September Student of the Month. The Amboy resident is the daughter Patricia Rood. Her siblings are Kayla Haenitsch, 20, and Mathew Rood, 16.
Favorite class: I always really enjoy biology classes. Learning about organisms and what makes them work has always fascinated me.
Top teacher: While I love and respect all my teachers, and this was a very difficult question to answer, I had to choose the teacher whom I have spent the most time with and grown closest to – Mrs. Kathy Mekeel. As a band teacher, she has not only taught me how to be a better musician, but also how to be a better student and person. No one else has ever taught me so much about persistence and determination.
Whether she is spending countless hours with me perfecting audition music or inspiring an entire class, she has continues to better her students. This makes her the epitome of a teacher.
Extracurriculars: Band, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, academic team, Dixon Municipal Band
After graduation: I intend to pursue a biomedical engineering degree.
Paycheck: I recently switched jobs from McDonald’s to a much-closer job at Subway. I enjoy working part time, and I really love my job at Subway.
Best friend: My sister, Kayla – being 3 years older than me, it feels like she’s gone through everything before me. We may be very different, but I have enjoyed watching her grow over the years and taking notes of what she has accomplished so that I may do the same later.
Hearts: I love watching movies, listening to indie music – Young the Giant, “500 Days of Summer,” Death Cab for Cutie, The Paper Kites, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” Florence and the Machine – and spending time with friends.
Darts: I hate country music, whiners, running and any and all forms of rap-hip hop music.
Haunts: Mostly I can be found at high school, work, or Sauk Valley Community College. I would definitely define myself as a homebody.
Survival guide: Maturing is key to surviving high school and surviving life in general. The realization that people, conditions and required effort are all subject to variance throughout the years is a very important thing to accept and exemplify.
Useless knowledge: Every year in Spanish, we do a Latin dance unit. While I wouldn’t call it “useless knowledge” and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Latin American countries’ cultures, I seriously doubt I will be employing those dance moves any time soon due to my two left feet.
Secret twin: My mother is convinced, and has often mentioned, that I look like Kristen Stewart. Do I see the resemblance? No.
Dream job: I would love to be a veterinarian because I love animals. But my general lack of patience and severe allergies render that career path less than ideal.
Trading spaces: I would love to travel to Switzerland. It is in the middle of a cultural trifecta, and I love the idea that it combines influences of German, Italian and French cultures.
Read this: The last great book I read was “The Bell Jar,” by Sylvia Plath. Usually, I stick to reading classics, and this book was the first book that I really, really enjoyed reading in a long time. I enjoyed reading Plath’s semi-autobiographical look into depression and academic pressures.
Shout out: Hi Mom. Thank you for all that you do for me. I love you very much.
