The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

There must be a gene for nursing in the water.

Much like the class valedictorian, Kendra Leeland, the salutatorian for the Class of 2016 at Naselle Grays River Valley High School plans to study nursing.

"I've always wanted to go into the medical field," Leeland said. "Who knows, I could want to go further, but it's nursing for now."

Against the school counselor's advice to apply to several schools, Leeland only applied to the two schools that interested her, Concordia in Portland and Pacific Lutheran University.

She got accepted to both. Concordia also accepted her into the nursing program.

"I turned it down," she said with a laugh that gave away just a tinge of nervousness about the decision.

But PLU is not just a good school, it's a family tradition. Several members of her family have attended.

"PLU has a conditional acceptance for the nursing program," Leeland said. "It's very competitive and very difficult to get into. If you get accepted to the school and put nursing as your intended major on your application they send it to the nursing program and they'll look at it. I did not get conditionally accepted, but I'll take the first semester pre-nursing courses and reapply.

"It's kind of nerve wracking that I didn't get conditionally accepted," Leeland added, "but I set really high standards for myself."

Leeland sets high standards and she challenges herself. She signed up for an online Running Start program with Grays Harbor College, despite teachers worries that it might be too hard.

"I was willing to do it," Leeland said. "I want to go really far. It offered a lot more opportunities than the high school would have. I've taken 18 classes, three each quarter, one in the summer."

Three of the classes she took online stood out: psychology, environmental science and a math class with real life applications.

"I will be the first to graduate with an AA from Grays Harbor from this school," she said proudly.

Math is Leeland's favorite subject. If she decides not to go into nursing, occupational therapy or special education and ends up teaching, it will be math.

"I loved my math classes here," she said. "They were my absolute favorite because Mr. Wise is the best math teacher ever. He is a phenomenal teacher."

"I was at the top of all of my math classes in high school," she said torn between her obvious pride and a desire to remain modest. Her love for the subject of math won out.

"Math was my time to shine," Leeland said.

Leeland competed with the Knowledge Bowl team and was elected to class officer all four years, as sergeant at arms.

"I didn't do anything," Leeland laughed, "they just voted me into the spot."

Leeland was also very active in sports, playing volleyball, basketball and softball. She admits that sports may have taken up more time than school, and she's looking forward to slowing down in college and focusing on her studies.

"My whole high school was sports," Leeland said. "You make so many friends playing sports. It's been a lot of fun. I'm going to miss high school. Not a lot of people say that, but I'm going to miss it a lot."

Summer plans include working as a barista at a coffee shop and babysitting.

Kendra is the daughter of David and Kristi Leeland, and the youngest of three.