Meet Katie Baumheckel

Whiz Kid's name: Katie Baumheckel

Whiz Kid's age: 15

Whiz Kid's school: Lakes High School

Whiz Kid's accomplishment: Katie is Lakes’ sophomore class president. In addition to maintaining a 3.8 grade-point average and balancing an academic load that includes 11th-grade-level classes Algebra 2, chemistry and Advanced Placement English – “I’m ahead of the game” – she keeps busy with several extracurricular activities.

Katie is an IGNITE mentor, B.O.S.S. (Blue and Orange Scream/Spirit Squad) co-president and Key Club bulletin editor. She also plays tennis and volleyball for the Lancers and is involved with the youth group and Bible Leading Teens at Lake City Community Church.

Although Katie has more than two years of high school left, she is already thinking about the future: She plans to become a family therapist or psychologist so she can continue to fulfill her passion for helping people. That may mean attending Seattle Pacific University or Trinity Western in Canada.

Whiz Kid's key to awesomeness: Katie credits the friends  “who back me up and pick me back up when I think I can’t go on any further” for her successes.

“Without them always pushing me for the better, it would be very hard for me to ever move forward,” she said.

Katie said her favorite thing about being a sophomore is seeing her friends grow up. From jobs to driver’s licenses, “everyone has been becoming more and more like adults.”

Katie got her start in student government as a freshman when she joined the volleyball team and met several upperclassmen who were on Lakes’ ASB leadership team.

“I really looked up to them and desired to someday have an impact on someone else's life like they did mine,” she said, adding that team captain and ASB President has been a great inspiration, as well as Junior Class Representative Tani Palafox, who encouraged Katie to run for class president.

Having the chance to make an impact on her school means a lot to Katie. She said that ASB members recently took part in an assembly for the freshmen and sophomore classes about bullying.

“I would give and do anything to help my peers in the four-year journey that we all have to face together,” she said, “so that we can better our chances of not only surviving it, but also leaving a legacy behind for others to follow for years to come."