#1StudentNWI: The Wolves Shine Bright on Senior Night

#1StudentNWI: The Wolves Shine Bright on Senior Night

What’s Happened?

“Shine bright on senior night” was the slogan given to the seniors of the girls’ basketball team in the locker room before their last home game of their high school career. They seemed to take this to heart as they came out with a lot of energy at the tip-off that lasted the entire 32 minutes and resulted in a 52-45 win over the Valparaiso Vikings, a Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) rival.

After inclement weather cancelled the originally planned date of Friday, January 12, Monday night, January 15, senior night was celebrated. The seniors were showered with gifts from their underclassmen teammates, including picture memory boards, handcrafted blankets, and miscellaneous dorm room items. They were also given blue and white carnations from head coach, Mike Megyese, and assorted bouquets from friends and families. The formal festivities took place before the game with the announcement of the seniors and their testimony of their experience of the last four years and their future plans. Before warming up, the team was warned to use the energy of the night to their advantage and to not let it affect the normal way that they played basketball.

1Student-MC-Jan-2018-02The team took the advice to heart and played well as a team.

“The seniors may not have played the entire game, but they were productive on and off the bench,and their leadership skills are appreciated, and I am proud of them for that,” said Megyese.

The win was a perfect way for the seniors to end their home-game career. At the end of the night they were quoted saying, “Tonight was one of the best nights ever and thank you to all of our teammates and fans for making it so special.”

What’s Coming Up?

On Saturday January 27, there will be a conference held at Purdue University Northwest to enhance the electoral and political process in LaPorte County.

The conference will be hosted and co-sponsored by The League of Women Voters of La Porte County, the La Porte County Better Government Study Group, the La Porte County Chapter of the NAACP and Leadership La Porte County. Matthew Presley, Co-Chairman of the English Department at La Porte High School, will be the moderator.

The conference will feature two different panels of discussion, the first being comprised of upstanding high school students from the area. The goal is to understand the “next generation perspective.” The second panel will feature older adults that will add their own ideas to the discussion. The third part of the conference will be “what’s next,” with plans of action after initiatives are identified.

The main goals of the conference are to lay out future priorities of the La Porte County area including improving voter participation in La Porte County elections, promoting intergovernmental collaboration within La Porte County, promoting high ethical standards within the government, and evaluating the desirability of considering changes in the structure of local government.

The entire session begins at 8:30 A.M. on the 27th with coffee and introductions and a political overview until 9:00 when the first panel of discussion will begin. The second panel begins speaking at 10:00, and the “what’s next” portion beings at 11:00. The conference is planned to end at 11:30. There is no cost for attendance and pre-registration is also not required. More information can be found by contacting Jo Ann Engquist, League of Women Voters of LaPorte County, Leigh Morris, La Porte County Better Government Study Group, Wes Scully, La Porte County Chapter, or Monica Komasinski, Leadership of La Porte County.

Student Spotlight

1Student-MC-Jan-2018-06Madison Laux, a senior here at MCHS, has dreams of being a clinical psychologist in the future and is working hard both in the school and the community to make sure she exceeds expectations in life.

She is involved in several clubs including: Steering Committee, National Honor Society, Foreign Language Honor Society, German Club, the LGBTA club, Art Club, she plays for the girls’ tennis team, while also volunteering outside of school and working a part-time job at Carter’s in the Lighthouse Mall.

She maintains a 4.2 GPA on a weighted scale and shares her secret by saying, “It really is all about time management and going for help whenever needed. Getting involved was one of the best decisions I made because it opened up more opportunities for me and also helped me form bonds with new people.”

MCHS has helped Laux find her passions in life by giving her options and the right teachers to push Laux to her potential.

She said, “MCHS has allowed me to explore my interests and capabilities by making it possible to challenge myself with a diverse course load. One of the many great teachers I have come across is Mrs. Deanna Ehrhardt. She balances her job of teaching alongside of continuing her degrees and keeping her hobby of art alive in her free time. Art is something I always want to be a part of, and it helps knowing it is possible.”

Laux plans on attending IUPUI for her undergrad and continue her education until she reaches her PHD and achieves her long-term career goals.

Teacher Spotlight

1Student-MC-Jan-2018-05Jennifer Gracyalny, more commonly known as “Senorita G,” at MCHS, has been teaching Spanish for almost five years now after graduating from Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, IN. Everyday she works hard to help students learn Spanish and hopefully inspire them to continue their language studies after high school.

Gracyalny was introduced to teaching at a young age.

She said, “My mom is a teacher, my aunt is a professor, my grandma was a teacher, and my four great-aunts were teachers. Teaching is in my blood.”

She was introduced to teaching Spanish in high school and has loved it ever since.

“When I was in high school, I helped my brother learn how to form commands in Spanish, and since that moment, I knew that feeling of helping someone and making them understand a new idea was something that I wanted to pursue. When I started studying Spanish, the idea that I could now communicate with millions of new people and live in a different culture enticed me,” said Gracyalny.

Gracyalny has been teaching at MCHS since she was hired in 2013. She has developed relationships with the students and fellow educators and feels at home being a “Wolf.”

She is currently working towards having Spanish spoken more consistently in her classroom during second semester and on achieving her Master’s in Spanish.

“I aspire to provide an environment where my students feel comfortable, affirm their identity, be someone they trust, and teach the heck out of Spanish,” explained Gracyalny.

MCHS is proud to have Gracyalny as a part of the teaching staff working to enrich students’ lives.