Touchstone Energy Scholar of the Week: Marion senior excited for what’s ahead

MARION, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Kristen Wieman is ready for what’s next after high school.

“I’m excited to leave, but it’s going to be a change and it’s going to be hard to leave everyone that I know and all my friends,” she said.

A lot of her classmates are her friends because Marion High School is a smaller school. She said because of this, she was involved in several activities.

“I always felt with her that she made a decision when she was quite young that she was going to do well,” Nancy Kennedy said. “You can’t decide when you’re a junior that you want to have a 4.0. You have to decide that as you enter your freshman year.” Kennedy is a counselor at Marion High School.

Wieman competes in track, cross country, basketball and is part of several organizations including 4-H, student council, and yearbook. She doesn’t let this stop her from taking dual-credit courses.

“I just had a bunch of free periods, and I knew that it would be cheaper if I took them now and then I would have them out of the way when I’m in college, and I could spend more time on my harder classes,” she said.

Wieman plans on attending South Dakota State University and majoring in conservation, related to natural resources or something in agriculture.

“I want to be a park ranger and work in the parks and protect animals,” she said.

For being named our Touchstone Energy Scholar of the Week, Wieman receives a $250 scholarship from Southeastern Electric Cooperative, which is a local Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

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