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Others, like Cassandra Merchlewitz, use their hardships at home to drive them toward success.
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Cassandra admits her family life hasn’t always been the greatest. Her parents have split up several times; she thinks this time it’s for good. For years, she and her three sisters moved around, sometimes going separate ways between parents.
Even Mother Nature seemed to work against her. Last year, with her parents living on opposite sides of the street in Rushford, both homes were damaged by the floods. Her mother’s house was a total loss, while her father’s apartment building was labeled uninhabitable.
Despite these things, Cassandra never let negativity cloud her view, and that can be seen in the way she carries herself in school.
Cassandra Merchlewitz is this year’s Above and Beyond winner for Houston High School.
“Cassandra is a beautiful, responsible person,” said Ann Markegard, a teacher at Houston High School. “You look at her and you can tell that she will one day become the citizen and person that everyone looks for.”
Some may use having a less-than-perfect home life as a crutch, but Cassandra has taken it as an opportunity to grow. Though she can’t pinpoint what drives her, it may stem from being the oldest daughter in a family that has seen its share of conflict. Though she says they sometimes see it as lecturing, she tries to give her sisters advice when they fall out of line or get in trouble.
“I try to set an example for them, even if they don’t always follow it,” she said.
While maintaining a grade-point average above 3.5, Cassandra often works 30 hours a week at the Rushford Creamery and a sprout farm in Houston. With a car loan, insurance payments to make, and having her father temporarily out of work, Cassandra faces a level of responsibility most 18-year-olds wouldn’t be able to handle, at least not with the grace she does.
When the name Cassandra Merchlewitz is brought up to teachers at Houston High School, they always say “responsible.” Teachers say she is always on time, always ready with her work and never has an excuse.
“Casee is an excellent role model for the underclassmen here at Houston High School,” said Cindy Flatin, who works in the high school library. “She shows them how hard you have to work to be on the honor roll, in sports, to have a job, help out at home and still have a smile on your face.”
Cassandra plans to go to college after she graduates, with the hope of one day becoming a veterinarian. She sees the opportunities that hard work and perseverance can bring, and she knows that college is the most likely path to allow her to transcend the things she has gone through.
“I want to live the American dream,” she said. “(To) have the house of my dream and the car of my dream, and to be able to give my kids everything they’ll need.”
The Above and Beyond program recognizes high school seniors who have overcome obstacles or performed outstanding community service. It is a partnership between Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical, Saint Mary’s University, Winona State University and the Winona Daily News.
bert wrote on Feb 20, 2008 11:03 AM: