🎓#16 Salutatorian – Jaiden Kerstetter
➡Next Steps: RSU - Honors Program
đź“šField of Study: Chemical Engineering
🦓Zebra Since: 10th Grade
đź”´ What advice would you give your freshman self?
"Everything changes. No matter what you do or what you think. Some moments will come to define who you are, and they will build your character. In the end, you decide who you are and who you get to be."
đź”´ Through my journey to becoming a salutatorian,
"I'm a lot more determined than I thought I was. Going into high school, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be. I just went with anything that came my way. But at some point, I started to take initiative, started making goals. Because of that, I changed as a person entirely. No matter what happens, anyone can complete their goals with enough determination."
đź”´ What are you most proud of in your high school career?
"English is my worst subject, and I have this habit of always going on some sort of tangent if it's a topic I'm interested in. Almost every year we were required to make an essay or a presentation of a topic of our choice. Long story short I managed to complete each project at home within a couple of hours because I spent the rest of the time required for the assignments researching animals and not actually doing the assignment. And I still made an A in those classes."
đź”´ What were the hardest challenges you overcame to achieve this honor?
"By far procrastination. Procrastination destroys determination in it's entirety. I have no idea where I would be if I never got my work done."
đź”´ What does this accomplishment mean to you?
"I believe getting salutatorian is another step in my journey, another chapter in my book. It's a goal that I can always look back on and be proud of. It's a reminder that I've achieved and done something. To me it means there's still more to do."
đź”´ Looking back on your school experience at CPS, what does being a Zebra mean to you?
"A zebra means getting a group of friends, and an elite task force of penguins, to escape New York's Central Park zoo with. We'll follow our dreams of living in the plains of Madagascar, only to change them and start an Afro circus in Europe."
đź”´ What elementary staff member impacted your life most, and how?
"I went to Caney Valley Lincoln Elementary, a small town at the bottom right of Kansas. There, my 5th grade teacher, Mr. Wyrick, taught me that learning is about the environment around you and how you take it in. He was a handyman and built several nooks in his classroom, including a loft that I was up in reading almost every day. He actively encouraged group activities and finding different solutions. At the very end of the year he had us throw our homework up in the air. Learning is what you make it."
đź”´ What junior high staff member impacted your life most, and how?
"Because Caney was a small town, the junior high and high school were merged. There, I have a couple of names to shout out. First off, Mr. Owen, without him, my high school class schedule would probably look a lot different, considering he was the one who realized I was in the wrong class. He effectively had two different courses, an upper and lower level; they mistook me for another kid. Because of Mr. Owen, I got a proper jumpstart on my math classes. Second is Mr jabben, he taught carpentry. He was one of the first teachers to sit me down and tell me I have talent, he pointed me out because I was different, and told me that someday I would be successful. But I'm not entirely sure what he meant by that, because he also told me someday you're going to do what you love and enjoy it. Success is what you make it. He taught me that no matter where I end up, I should prioritize being content and happy."
đź”´ What high school staff member made the most significant impact on your life, and how?
"Mr. Cummings' class was probably the first classroom setting I could sit in and learn. I have never been able to sit and pay attention like I did in his class. The conversations and lectures were always something new to process and think about. He was one of my first teachers when I moved here to Claremore, and I made sure to have him each year. When he spoke about something he liked, he showed true passion. He doesn't look like it, but he's a nerd through and through. When I think of my high school experience as a whole, his class is the first thing that comes to my mind. I hope someday I'll be able to talk about something I love with that very same passion, just to know something in depth and in that much detail like he knew history or star trek. Genuinely thank you."
đź”´ What activities have you been involved in?
"Academic Team;AP / Pre-AP Programs;Chemistry Club;Math Club / Mu Alpha Theta;National Honor Society;SkillsUSA"
đź”´ What is the one thing you will absolutely take with you to college?
"I have this wolverine poster in my room that I'm taking to my dorm. My RSU student ID is a close second."
đź”´ Scholarships
"Rsu Honors program, Claremore alumni scholarship"
đź”´ Awards and Honors
"2025 academic bowl state winners, RSU aero games 2nd, "part of aerospace program," Oklahoma high school honor society."
đź”´ Anything else you'd like to add...
"Tangent, did you know there's a small frog that can't jump properly? They're called the Pumpkin Toadlet. They're so small that the part of their ears that manages their sense of orientation and direction just doesn't work properly. So they never make a graceful landing whenever they jump, but it's hilarious to watch."
#cpszebrapride