POLO — Myah Ackeberg was recently named the April Student of the Month at Polo Community High School. She received a scholarship from the Polo Schools Foundation for her efforts. She is the daughter of Lora and David Ackeberg.
Ackeberg participates in cheerleading, Student Council, Spanish Club, FCCLA, and National Honor Society. After high school, she plans to pursue a career in costume design. Upon winning the award, Ackeberg completed a questionnaire on her school experience.
What does it take to be a successful high school student?
-Getting to know your teachers and not being afraid to ask for help if you need it!
What class do you find really engaging and why?
-The most engaging class I’m currently taking is Spanish VI with Senora G. She is such a kind and cheerful person, and an amazing teacher as well! I’ve taken Spanish with her all four years of high school, and she makes learning the material feel so easy and fun. It’s also a smaller class (only six of us!) so we are a very close-knit group and are able to work one-on-one a lot. Senora G is an amazing teacher and you can always tell she loves teaching and loves her students!
What are your career and post-graduation plans?
-This fall I will be attending the University of Missouri (Mizzou!) to double major in Textile/Apparel Management and Theatre! I want to move to New York after college and work in costume design for Broadway and off-Broadway productions. At Mizzou I’m hoping to make lots of friends, try new clubs and activities, and hopefully study abroad!
What are your two favorite extracurricular, volunteer or community activities you participate in?
One of my favorite extracurricular activities I’ve done in high school is cheer. I didn’t do cheer in middle school, and I never pictured myself as a cheerleader until I went out on a whim my freshman year. Now, I can’t imagine having never been a cheerleader! I loved getting to help with homecoming and school spirit, and I’ll never forget the amazing memories and friendships I made with my teammates. This year I also helped out as a peer mentor for the Shining Stars choir program through Woodlawn Arts Academy. Shining Stars is a choir program for adults with special needs in the Sauk Valley area. We practice twice a week in the spring and put on a concert in April. This was the first year I helped with the program, and seeing all our performers get to shine on stage was such an amazing and unforgettable experience!
Please share a moment, group event or activity at school that was meaningful or memorable.
-One of my favorite memories from school was getting to cheer with all of my friends this season. We have all grown so much since we were baby cheerleaders a few years ago and learned so many new skills! I also got to choreograph our Senior Night routine for basketball cheer, and I was so proud of how it turned out. I’m so happy with how much we all grew and were able to achieve in our last year cheering together.
What is your hope for the future?
-In the future, I hope I’m living it up in the city and doing what I love! I want to live a life surrounded by good friends, good art, good food, and a career that I’m passionate about. I also want to be able to give back to my community and inspire others to follow their dreams like I did.
