By Per Peterson
Tracy Area High School seniors Bronson Pond and Gabbie Gervais have their eyes on bright futures while continuing to excel in the present. Their dedication to numerous school activities, along with their acumen in the classroom, has resulted in the pair being nominated for the Minnesota State High School League’s Academics, Arts and Athletics Award.
Pond, who carries a 3.85 Grade Point Average, has been involved in band and ensemble for four years and has played football at the varsity level since his freshman year. He also played varsity baseball for three years. He plans to major in bio chemistry in college.
Bronson credits his parents for always stressing good grades, which , he says, would assure success in academics and a successful future, placement in college and “earning an important role in society. This has influenced me to place academics among the top of my priorities and has been the reason behind my success in academics.”
Pond, who has played trumpet since the fifth grade and guitar for the last eight years, said being a part of band and athletics has helped him learn the value of teamwork and devotion.
“Being in a band and participating in sports … have taught me about the importance of teamwork and how to interact with other people,” he wrote in his Triple A essay.
Pond said his schoolwork will always be his top priority, as he considers it a “necessity in the development of a successful scholar and an important member of society.”
Pond was nominated by TAHS mathematics teacher Amy Larsen, who said the senior has shown his commitment to receiving a quality education by taking college-level classes in Southwest Minnesota State University’s College Now program, as well as Advanced Placement courses during his sophomore, junior and senior year of high school.
“He works extremely hard and is not afraid to ask questions when he does not understand the topic,” Larsen wrote. “Other students, staff, see his hard work and dedication to his academics as a quality that will take him far in life.”
For more on this article, see this week’s Headlight-Herald.