All-Area Academic Excellence Team: Merkley, Carlson, Forrest

May 10—Hunter Merkley

—Parents: Heath Merkley and Cora Merkley.

—School: Joplin High School.

—Planned career field: Medicine.

—Long-range goals: I plan to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and then attend BYU, where I will study to become a surgeon.

—Advice to freshmen for academic success: My advice for freshmen for academic success is to stay calm and ahead of your work. As long as you take it one step at a time and don't fall behind, you are sure to succeed.

—Inspiring educator: An educator that inspired me would be Mrs. Amber Cooney. She is the best teacher I have ever had. She is a teacher who understood her role as a teacher. She made sure to always be there for me and ensured that I was always safe and felt welcome. She always put her students first and ensured that we were actually being prepared for our futures rather than just sending us assignments to do. Mrs. Cooney showed that teaching can be so much more than just giving students assignments.

Nico Carlson

—Parents: Robert and Saori Carlson.

—School: Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School.

—Planned career field: Law, school administration.

—Long-range goals: I want to study neuroscience and philosophy and earn a degree in law. Ultimately, I want to improve the quality and accessibility of education in rural and low-income areas.

—Advice to freshmen for academic success: Everyone learns, retains and perceives information differently, so test different methods to find what works best for you to fully understand the material. Never avoid or give up on anything because you don't think you're smart enough to understand it; some subjects might take more effort for you to understand than others, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. The most important thing is to ask for help and help others when asked. Share a study guide, help a friend with a homework problem or email a teacher for clarification on an assignment. The people around you are great resources and can be a network of support instead of competition.

—Inspiring educator: My father is the smartest man I know, not because he knows everything, but because he always strives to educate himself and others. Since I was a child, he always upheld the importance of education. I remember listening to novels like "Lord of the Flies" or biographies of presidents as bedtime stories. During election cycles, he would take the time to explain how they work, answering countless questions about what a primary is or what every single candidate was campaigning on. When we read Camus in English class, I immediately told my dad about it, sparking a long conversation about absurdism and Bukowski that gave me a breadth of knowledge on a subject I never encountered in school. Every day, I learn something new, whether it's what to say in a professional email, how to fix a broken headlight or a different perspective on current events. This constant conversation of learning between my father and I has directly translated into academic success. He gave me the ability to think critically, consider opposing viewpoints and enjoy my education as a gateway to understanding the world around me, allowing me to make the most of my time in school and excel academically.

McKaylie Forrest

—Parents: Jamie and David Forrest.

—School: Neosho High School.

—Planned career field: Health care (genetics counseling).

—Long-range goals: My long-term goal is to obtain a doctorate and eventually open a private practice in Kansas City.

—Advice to freshmen for academic success: Challenge yourself. Never settle for the bare minimum. Take the most advanced classes that you can and find a leadership position you enjoy. Always look for opportunities to be one step ahead.

—Inspiring educator: Lynnlee Parrott is a first-year teacher and coach at NHS, and from the minute I met her at a summer softball practice, we had an instant bond. She was the first teacher at the high school who actively encouraged and pushed me to pursue my dreams of moving away to chase something bigger than my small town. She has never failed to be one of my biggest support systems or inspiration athletically, educationally or mentally. When I grow up, I want to be the Coach Parrott for others, the way she has been for me during the hardest year of my life.