Each year, St. Cloud Rotary hosts Junior Rotarians from five area high schools at its weekly meetings. Junior Rotarians attend meetings with business leaders and community influencers for one month during the school year and are given the opportunity to introduce themselves to Rotary members in a speech, as well as compete for a $1,000 college scholarship in the spring.
Apollo senior Grace Leapaldt recently made an impression with this speech, and she is our Student Spotlight for December. [Edited for clarity]
Hi, my name is Grace Leapaldt. First off, I want to say thank you to the Rotary Club for inviting me to be a Junior Rotarian.
My parents are Julie and David Leapaldt, I have an older brother Sam, who lives in the Twin Cities, and two older sisters; one who lives near Washington DC and one in Atlanta, Georgia. I am a senior at Apollo High School, and I am in National Honor Society and a member of Link Crew, mentoring underclassman. I am captain of Apollo’s Dance Team and will be running for captain of Apollo’s softball team as well. I have been named to all-conference for both sports.
I feel very fortunate to have been able to attend Apollo High School. There are so many amazing opportunities to get a great education there. I was able to take numerous Advanced Placement and college coursework classes. I have learned independence and gained a strong work ethic. My teachers at Apollo have been amazing and are so invested in my future. I finished my first trimester of senior year with a composite GPA of above a 4.0. Like any school, it is the effort you decide to put in that helps you achieve your goals. At Apollo you have to want to get a good education, no one is going to hand it to you. My exposure to different cultures and people at Apollo has given me so many life lessons and real-world experiences that I will take with me into the future. My understanding of others and other cultures has expanded since attending Apollo, I understand people more deeply and their different backgrounds.
I am passionate about my Dance Team, and I wouldn’t trade my teammates for the world. Since my first year on the team in 8th grade, we have come so incredibly far. We work so hard and have to prove we belong at competitions. I am grateful for the opportunities that dance has given me to understand that hard work and dedication can make a difference, and that change does take time, but nothing is impossible.
Another area where I have been very blessed to have been a student in District 742 is the Chinese Immersion program. I have been enrolled in the program since 1st grade and it continues today in my senior year. Since we were taught by native Chinese teachers, my fellow classmates and I grow in not only the language, but also the culture of China. We now are able to communicate without worrying about understanding cultural cues and differences. We can all write, read and speak Mandarin Chinese fluently, and without a strong American accent. After the two-week visit we made in 2017, I came back fully charged to continue my Chinese education and use it in my future life. Working with the embassy in China would truly be a dream of mine. Spreading American culture in China and sharing Chinese culture with Americans is a goal of mine. I would also enjoy being able to work with a company in America who does business with China and be able to be the halfway point in cultural and language barriers.
After high school, I plan on attending college where I will pursue a minor in Chinese and a major in international business relations, or possibly communications. I will bring what I have learned at Apollo into my future relationships and education.
I know there are some who feel Apollo doesn’t offer students the same education and activity opportunities as other schools. I respectfully disagree. I have gained a widened perspective on life and others around me and I will always stand proud as an Apollo Eagle and District 742 graduate.
You must be logged in to post a comment.