Award recognizes excellence in and out of the classroom

By Tucker Henderson

Reporter

New York Mills School recently announced this year’s Triple A Award winners as Haley Korkowski and Sam Kopveiler. This award goes to students engaged in the areas of academics, arts and athletics in their senior year of high school. Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and are nominated by faculty members.

Both award winners will have their achievement recognized at the spring scholarship ceremony and also have the possibility to continue on to qualify as a region finalist and be invited to a recognition banquet in March where Minnesota State High School League officials will announce the four statewide Triple A Award winners. Two statewide winners will receive a four-year $1,000 scholarship.

“I was honored,” said Korkowski, the daugher of Edith Korkowski and Nate and Amanda Korkowski.

“It was pretty exciting,” agreed Kopveiler, the son of Jake and Shelly Kopveiler. “I didn’t really know exactly what it was, but after digging into it, it was definitely pretty cool.

Kopveiler is involved in baseball, basketball, football, FFA, NHS, student council and plays as a percussionist in the school band. He said he has several favorite memories throughout his time in school.

“I liked the field trips in the elementary school, those were really fun,” he said. “Also the sporting events and the couple state runs that we’ve made the last couple years.”

Korkowski is also involved in FFA, NHS and student council. She was also a math tutor for a time and is involved in volleyball and softball as well as playing flute in the school band. Her favorite memories of school revolve around the relationships she’s made there.

“I like all of the sports and activities and getting to make a lot of new friends with the events you’re involved in and I like the relationships between students and teachers, because you get to know them very well,” she said.

Not everybody has the opportunity to grow up in a community with fewer than 1,500 people. To Kopveiler and Korkowski, that isn’t something they take for granted.

“I like that it’s a small school and you get to know everybody,” said Korkowski. “It’s easier to connect with people when you know all of them fairly well.”

“I like the same things,” agreed Kopveiler. “I like the small town community, but I guess I like how nobody really feels like they’re better than anybody else here and everybody is kinda one big family.”

With the Christmas season on the horizon and holiday break starting on Friday, Dec. 23, both students are looking forward to enjoying the latter half of their senior year.

“I’m looking forward to starting softball and visiting colleges and I guess also applying for scholarships,” said Korkowski.

“I’m looking forward to baseball and also to when the semester changes and my classes get way easier,” laughed Kopveiler.