Sandpoint Elks honor area's top students
Sandpoint Elks Lodge No. 1376 has recognized the region’s top students of the month.
To be selected as an Elk’s student of the month, students must meet guidelines for character, citizenship, service, scholarship and leadership.
The Elks actively seek to reward youth through many different programs including scholarship awards, Hoop Shoot tournament, dictionary donations to third graders, drug awareness programs and many other activities and programs.
Sandpoint Elks Lodge award thousands of dollars in scholarships and local students also received an additional money in state and national Elk scholarships. The Elks are the third largest awarder of scholarships in the county and several students have received large scholarships from the state and national level of Elks.
Among those honored this year are Lindsay Guthrie and Jensen Heisel
- Lindsay Guthrie, Sandpoint High School
A senior at Sandpoint High School, Lindsay Guthrie is the daughter of Paul and Sarah Guthrie, and Barb Guthrie.
Guthrie is ranked as seventeenth in my class and holds a 4.21 grade point average. Throughout her four years going to school at Sandpoint High School, she has been a committed member of the SHS soccer program, playing on the junior varsity team. Her ability to lead as a captain, her dedication, and her hard work paid off when she received the 2016 Miss Bulldog Award. In addition, Guthrie played basketball for two years and have been on the varsity softball team for two seasons.
Aside from sports, she is also a member of the school’s Symphonic Band, which won many trophies over the years. She has also used my time to give back to the community by being a part of the National Honor Society for a year where she volunteered for events including The Festival at Sandpoint and Panhandle Alliance for Education.
On top of all of this, she works as a hostess/busser at Jalapeño’s Mexican Restaurant.
In her spare time, she enjoys horseback riding, skiing, hiking, kayaking, and spending time with her friends.
Her plans for the future are to attend the University of Idaho, though still undecided, possibly majoring in engineering or architecture.
- Jensen Heisel, Clark Fork High School
A lifelong resident of Clark Fork, Jensen Heisel is the son of Joseph and Lorilie Heisel. He was recently named an Elks’ student of the month for CFHS.
“The 18 years of Clark Fork as home have been the best years of my life,” he said. “I have always enjoyed being outside. I am always excited for the next season.”
In the summer, he’s working and playing on the lake, waterskiing, and fishing. In the fall, he enjoys football and the adventurers of elk hunting. When the first snow comes, it’s time to start prepping traps and setting out the waterfowl decoys and working the bird dog. In spring the robins and osprey return, and the fishing gets hot.
Other than being outside, he said he has always wanted to get and experience knew things. One summer he worked on a commercial fishing boat and that following spring he was an exchange student in Trondheim, Norway.
He is interested in obtaining a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with welding certification from University of Idaho. With this degree, he said he plans to start his own small business in Alaska as a mobile welder and diesel mechanic.
“My true career goal is to be a teacher,” he said. “Unfortunately, teaching is not a profitable career and that is why I plan to turn to the technical side of the work force. Once I build a strong business, I hope to take advantage of Idaho’s current teaching requirements and find employment at a secondary school.”
Heisel has been a student athlete all four years of his high school career: four years of varsity football, three years varsity basketball, two years varsity tennis, and one year of track. He also has also been a member of the Whispering Pines 4-H club for the past 10 years.
He hase been a honor all student all four years and is currently enrolled with a full load of classes at the NIC-Sandpoint campus.