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Academic All-star: Humboldt senior breaks stereotypes in her quest for academic success
1/8/2009 11:56 AM

Nicole_White
Nicole White

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Humboldt Senior Nicole White knows first-hand that one can get side-tracked on the journey through high school.

Says Nicole, "I just want to like, show everyone that you can do that, you can graduate from high school if you just work hard and study, and do everything that you need to do"

Nicole is on-track to become the first member of her family to graduate from high school on-time.
And, she says a key component of her academic success has been the support she gets from her peers.

"Even from 9th grade we knew that our grades would count up to our senior year and we wanted that success, SDays Nicole. "We didn't let other people bring us down."

Nicole also credits her development to Humboldt's ROTC program, where she's reached the rank of Cadet-Major, the 2nd-highest rank that can be awarded, and through which she attended a life-changing experience at the George C. Marshall Leadership Symposium in Virginia.

"I was like, you know there's other things out there that I could do like, instead of just staying you know, staying in the box, says Nicole, "Just stepping-out and being successful."

Says ROTC Advisor Doug Hurd, Sergeant 1st-Class U.S. Army Retired, "She doesn't really need us, we need her, and she'll be successful in whatever endeavors she chooses to go into, I'm sure of that."

A proud member of the Leach Lake Band of Ojibway, Nicole is a 2-time letter-winner and captain of Humboldt's soccer team. A member of the National Honor Society, who't set to graduate with a 3.7 GPA, Nicole now wants others to follow the path she's made on her journey.

"You wanna take the reigns and be in-charge of your own life, and It's your life and if you want the best you have to do the best."




By Tim McNiff, KARE 11 News