One of my very favorite things about being editor of the Cook County News-Herald is that I get to gather good news about the “kids” in our community. From birth announcements to college news, it is a joy to help share happy news.
The accomplishments of the young people in our community are astonishing. There are the scholars who compete in Knowledge Bowl, Envirothon, Math Masters and the Geography Bee. There are talented actors in plays, dance recitals and musical performances. There are athletes who can run, jump, swim, log roll, ski, hit a ball, throw a ball, block a pass and more. There are painters and photographers whose artwork adorns the halls of our schools. There are techies and builders who design and build things in our new industrial tech shop. Nearly every week we are able to share something amazing that a young person in our community is doing.
It was fun last week to watch one of our “kids” on television. Like many other Cook County residents, I tuned in to Wheel of Fortune to watch former resident and Cook County High School graduate, Ahna Schulte on the popular game show. Ahna is now a kindergarten teacher in Denver, Colorado.
As her mom, Lynn Schulte, told News-Herald reporter Brian Larsen before Ahna’s appearance aired—when the family was sworn to secrecy about the outcome—Ahna represented Grand Marais well.
I’m a fan of Wheel of Fortune so I watch it whenever I can, so it was delightful to see someone I know at the big wheel. Ahna did do a great job, winning a vacation prize package and a nice bit of cash. But what really tickled me was that she was so nice on screen. When she knocked her opponent out of the running for the bonus round, she turned to him and shook his hand.
Although Wheel of Fortune competitors always seem to be civil to one another, I don’t think I’ve ever seen players shake hands before. Kudos to Ahna for being so gracious!
Likewise to the two other graduates featured in the News-Herald last week, Aubry Lewis and Emma Olfson. These young women just graduated last year and they have already begun to make their mark on the world, albeit in vastly different ways.
Aubry has completed training at Oaksterdam University in Oakland, California where she learned about the cultivation, medical use, and legal aspects of cannabis. A somewhat controversial educational choice, but one that will certainly lead to an interesting career as the medical marijuana field continues to grow.
Emma is attending college here in Minnesota, at Alexandria Technical and Community College. She is studying interior design and was just awarded the position of American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) student representative to the board. As the student representative, Emma will speak for the student chapters in her region and will have a vote on important ASID issues. This will likely open doors to an interesting career, making the world a more beautiful place.
There are many more examples of our “kids” who have left Cook County and are thriving, such as Scott Rysdahl who found work in cyber-security; Brennan Hawkins, who is an airplane mechanic; Jeff Plahuta, who is a law clerk, returning to Cook County frequently along with Judge Michael Cuzzo; Matt Kangas, a Marine Naval Aviator; the musical Schmidt brothers Josh and Jacob; and singer/songwriter Tim Styles. There are many more and I’m proud of all of them.
The only bad thing about all this good news is that it is hard to keep track of it all. All of the former Cook County High School students mentioned above are worthy of an in-depth article—along with a few dozen others, I’m sure. Please let us know what your “kid” is up to. We’d love to add them to the list to feature at some point.
And in the meantime, to all of our “kids” out there finding success, congratulations. We’re proud of you!
It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.
Elinor Smith
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