While many students choose to approach school with not-so-peppy scowls on their faces, senior Katie Bauer views academic challenges with a positive attitude. This kind and modest eighteen-year-old is always looking for what she can gain out of her experiences, seeing high school as an opportunity to fulfill personal potential.
In addition to logging long hours of homework time, Bauer is actively involved in the BSM community, and she always finds something to do. She has played hockey for over ten years including for the varsity team at school and participated in a sport nearly every season up through junior year. Bauer also performed in the play “Cinderella” sophomore year among other plays; “I had a lovely line: ‘I wish I didn’t like to eat!'” said Bauer.
Bauer gave up softball this year in order to focus her attention on theater. Auditioning for the spring musical “West Side Story,” Bauer ended up landing the role of the “Somewhere Girl” who sings a solo during the ballet scene.
Last summer, Bauer worked as a teacher’s assistant at the Edina Art Center in exchange for free art lessons, including oil painting classes. Painting is just one of Bauer’s artistic passions; she is currently working on a portrait of the characters from “Twilight,” and she hopes to sell it on eBay. Further expanding her art repertoire, Bauer submitted various projects to Apotheosis, BSM’s literary art magazine; four pieces, including two works of writing were chosen. “I really do like art…It’s something I really care about,” said Bauer.
Both a pianist and trumpet player and a member of BSM’s band and choir, Bauer has dedicated much of her time to developing her musical talent: “She is an amazing artist…she is an amazing singer, she has a beautiful voice,” said senior Claire Ehlen, a friend of Bauer’s.
Despite her hectic schedule of homework, theater, music, art, and sports, Bauer still manages to dedicate extensive time to volunteering. Bauer has been involved in Girl Scouts for 13 years, and just last year Bauer earned the Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve.
Bauer spent over 100 hours working with the American Diabetes Association and helped set up a diabetes walk, conducted demonstrations at a diabetes convention, and she went to ADA meetings. “Before I did the project, I’d never seen any advertisements for diabetes, I’ve never seen any commercials, or brochures, or anything like that, and I’m like ‘hey, that would be something interesting, not a lot of people know what it is,'” said Bauer. Before Bauer heads off to St. Ben’s for college next year, where she plans to earn a degree in English education, Bauer will come together with her Girl Scout troop one final time to travel to Europe and tour England, Ireland, and Wales.
Amidst her accomplishments and willingness to help those in need, Bauer’s recognition also transfers over to her academic drive; she credits her strong work ethic to Mrs. Brew. “It all kinda got started with Mrs. Brew…she really kicked our butts into action freshman year…it was probably the best thing a teacher could’ve done for me.”
There’s no doubt that Bauer has worked hard in school to get to the place where she is today, yet so much of her success is not only due to her desire to learn, but is also a direct result of her intelligent and open outlook on school. “I like learning…It’s all in how you view things. If you are going to go into a subject or class saying ‘Oh my god this is the worst thing in the world, I don’t want to learn this’ then that’s what you are going to get from the class.”
