Eight seniors and two teachers, Rob Dalton and Haleigh See, recently visited Olympia, so I thought it would be fun to talk with one of the seniors to learn what it meant to them.

Delaney Kragerud was happy to meet with me at the school. Of Norwegian ancestry, she has the beautiful Scandinavian skin, so after complimenting her for a minute or two, we got down to talking about the field trip. The group was there for a day and spent time admiring the beautiful building where the legislature meets and the governor has his office. Delaney said she wanted to get a feel for how state government works. The best things she experienced were sitting in on an actual meeting and spending time with all the legislators. "They were really nice to us," she said, "explaining their jobs and how important their votes are for bills they support." We then talked about how important her vote is in electing those representatives who speak for us in our Nineteenth District. She is not yet 18, but she will register to vote as soon as she is.

Delaney is very focused on becoming a physical therapist. She had some instances early on where she needed physical therapy to help her body heal, so she learned first-hand the value it brings. Math is her favorite class and science is right behind. She is looking forward to continuing to play volleyball at Eastern Washington University in Cheney. She will enter as a sophomore because she was in the Running Start program in high school. She will be able to easily fly home and be with her family, certainly for holidays. She has relatives in the Chehalis and Olympia areas, so there are choices as to where she wants to visit.

She describes herself as independent, self-reliant and stubborn. If possible, she'd like to continue her studies in medicine after completing her physical therapy requirements. She is also interested in being a personal trainer. She has appreciation for her high school years and teachers. "This is like a family here," she told me, "If you have a problem and you need to talk to someone, you can go to any teacher and they will listen and help you." I can see why some describe her as resilient, friendly and extraordinary. She clearly has goals and the determination to reach them.

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