Molly Payton and Shaun Ballard are Elks teens of the month
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| Elks teen of the month nominees for October were (front row, from left) Emma Dale, Garrett Youngren, Molly Payton, Ashley Schwingle and Ben Miklavcic; and (back row) Elks representative Penny Best, nominees Katie Ries, Shawn Ballard, Bill Robbins and Amanda Corban. Paul Swanson was absent from photo. (Photo contributed) |
PRINCETON — Princeton Elks Lodge 1461 recently announced Molly Payton and Shaun Ballard as the male and female Teens of the Month for October.
Payton, a senior at St. Bede Academy, is the daughter of Tom and Tracy Payton of Peru. She ranks second in her class of 67 with a grade point average of 4.384.
A cheerleader for four years, she received the St. Bede Scholar Award, Holy Name Scholarship and the NCEA Acre Catechetical Award, Educational Development Award, Citizenship Award, Student Government Readership Award, Student Government Representa-tive Award and the Most Spiritual Award.
She is a class representative and has been a Prairie 8 district liaison officer, executive board member, a member of the homecoming and spirit week planning committee and attended the National Youth Leadership Confer-ence in Washington D.C.
Molly has been involved in school plays and musicals all four years and the variety show for the last three years. She played softball her freshman year and was on the varsity squad for four years in recreational tennis. She played the baritone and saxophone while performing with the concert band and pep band for two years. Other organizations she has belonged to include Spanish Club, Pep Club, Student Council Environmental Club, Student Ambassadors, assistant to the director of admissions and the Scholastic Bowl Team.
Payton’s community service involvement includes St. Bede cheer camp, school greeter, refereeing basketball intramurals, selling tickets at Ottawa River Fest, Special Olympics volunteer for 10 years, making blankets for the Lanus Foundation, completed more than 25 hours of service for Relay for Life, participated in the Food Pantry drive, collected items for the troops and volunteered for Christmas gift collection-Spirit of Giving Tree Project. Her hobbies include cheer, dance, Tetris, Sudoku, fishing, reading, spending time with family, working as a tumbling instructor at a sports center, cheer coach for children and she has worked at a daycare center during the summer. She likes cooking and baking with her grandmother, traveling, camping and shopping. Her future plans are to attend the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference in Washington, D.C. She would like a degree in liberal arts from either the University of Iowa, New York University, St. Mary’s College or the University of Notre Dame. She plans to study abroad and travel.
Ballard, a senior at St. Bede Academy, is the son of Monica Edwards and Jeff Ballard of Peru. He ranks sixth in his class of 67 with a grade point average of 4.022. He has played baseball and was captain of his bowling team. He is a member of the Spanish Club and the LaSalle Rotary Club. He is a Little League baseball coach and has participated in the science camp at Peru Catholic School. He volunteered for the Mendota Elks chili supper for crippled children, volunteered at the Mendota VFW cookout on Veterans Day, and the St. Bede Auction and Tea and Style Show. He is a volunteer for Cubs Scouts in Mendota and helped with the children’s Halloween party at the Mendota Elks.
Ballard’s hobbies are playing baseball, fishing and coaching little league baseball. He works at Culver’s and umpires baseball and softball games. He likes spending time with his family and friends, especially, with his younger brother. He enjoys working outside and playing with his dogs. He plans to attend a college in Illinois to become a high school math teacher and a baseball coach. He also would like to major in chemistry.
Other Elks Teen of the Month nominees for October were Ashley Schwingle of LaMoille High School, Paul Swanson of Ohio High School, Katie Ries and Ben Miklavcic of Hall High School, Emma Dale and Bill Robbins of Bureau Valley High School and Amanda Corban and Garrett Youngren of Princeton High School.
