Berne Union senior Katie McManis liked to infuse art into her school work

SUGAR GROVE − As an artist, Berne Union High School's Outstanding Senior Katie McManis infused her school work with her artistic talents.

"I like to take the assignments and twist them in a way that I fulfill what I'm supposed to," she said. "But I can make them my own and more creative and fun."

McManis got a lot of recognition for her artwork this year and plans to attend Miami University in Oxford next year to study art education.

"I made two pieces this year," she said. "One is a dress completely made of paper. And the other one is a dress made of photographs. I entered them into the Ohio Governor's (Youth) Art Exhibition. They both got in, but one of them got into the top 25, which is cool."

McManis had a 4.1 grade point average. She was in the National Honor Society, the Art Honor Society, the school's wind ensemble and Rolling Our Experiences (ROX). The latter is a female-empowerment group.

McManis said she tried to get her work finished as soon as possible instead of waiting until the last minute, which she said was a reason for her successful high school career.

McManis wants to be an art teacher upon graduating from college. But she'll also take classes in fashion at Miami.

"I like to be able to tell what I believe in and what I'm passionate about through being creative rather than just talking about it or writing," she said of her love of art."

McManis said she may miss her high school days some, but that she's more interested in focusing on the future than the past.

For eighth-graders becoming freshmen next year, she said the move doesn't feel that big.

"Don't worry about what everybody else is doing," McManis said. "Just do your own thing."

jbarron@gannett.com

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Twitter: @JeffDBarron

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Berne Union senior Katie McManis infused art into her school work