MUNCIE, Ind. - Every Wednesday, high school senior Kendyl Carpenter attends the Student Council meeting. She plays a significant role, as she created and leads the school pride committee.
“I'm pretty independent in this club and kind of organize a lot of stuff,” Carpenter said.
But student council isn’t the only thing she does. Just ask her what she does in a semester, and you will get a career. Carpenter is in the Riley Club to raise money for Riley Children’s Hospital, is a member of the National Honor Society, and is on an advisory team for the superintendent. Not to mention soccer matches, softball, volunteer work at her church, and yearbook, all the while maintaining a 4.18 GPA.
“Sometimes it gets a little chaotic, especially since I also have a big class load, so I also have to take in account to my classes and stuff,” Carpenter said. “But I feel like I do pretty good managing my time and stuff.“When I do do something, I make sure I do it to my fullest potential because then I feel like there's no point in doing something without giving it your all. So I feel like my work ethic is very, very dedicated and passionate.”
English teacher Franki Zile has been there throughout Carpenter’s high school career.
“Kendyl was always very sweet and cooperative and such, but she was a little bit quiet. But through the years, she has really grown a lot, and I think a lot of that has been just her involvement in different activities,” Zile said.
And Zile has seen other students with Carpenter’s schedule.
“It is something that we see a lot, not just with Kendyl, but with lots of our students, where they are in a ton of activities because we're at a smaller school. And so the opportunity is there, but also I think there's a sense of responsibility that a lot of these kids have,” Zile said.
For those people who seem to have too much on their plates, Carpenter has some words of wisdom.
“It's not the end of the world if something is not completed either, but when you do want to get everything done, just take a minute to look at everything and try to organize everything you have. Most of the time, you do have time to get it all done. Just looking at the big picture kind of stresses you out,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter’s hard work has been recognized. In October, she became a member of Pridemark Construction’s “Future Leaders of America” series.
Contact Daniel Huber with comments at daniel.huber@bsu.edu.
