The Austin Noon Kiwanis student of the month is Ava Chesak, a senior at Austin High School.

She is described as a person whose “leadership skills have thrived as a volunteer,” and her “confidence has increased since taking risks and putting herself in positions to be of service to others.”

“I have had a great academic experience at Austin High School and have had many opportunities to grow with honors and advanced classes. I have been in advanced math/sciences since my freshman year and am currently in AP Calculus. I am currently taking RCC freshman English, and have also taken RCC speech. I am also very interested in foreign language, so I enjoyed the opportunity of taking three years of Spanish.”

Regarding involvement in school and the community, “I am involved in DECA, Student Council, Go Green Club, Youth Leadership, tennis and yearbook. Outside of school, I love to do volunteer work. I go to Sacred Heart Nursing Home every Tuesday and play games or do crafts with the residents. I have babysat at Southgate PTC meetings and have volunteered in church by teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. I also went on a mission trip this winter for a week and helped build two houses in Mexico.”

Her post-secondary plans are to attend the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse and major in biology with a minor in Spanish.

“I then plan on attending graduate school where I will get a degree in physical therapy,” she says.

“Someone who has had a great and positive impact on me is Mrs. Reynen. She was my math teacher for two years in a row. Anytime I was struggling, I knew I could count on her for help. She has spent countless hours with me helping me catch up or understand confusing topics. She always has a positive attitude and never let me give up — this has taught me some very important life lessons about perseverance.  She is someone I look up to because of her impact on mine and other students’ lives.”