Senior Profile - Olson Runs Toward Successful Path In Culbertson

Senior Profile Olson Runs Toward Successful Path In Culbertson

As Culbertson’s student council president, Kayli Olson has the opportunity each morning to deliver the school announcements including a joke to start off the day on a good note.

She says she either finds the jokes from a book or on-line. “They either laugh for real or fake laugh,” Olson said of the students’ reactions. “It’s OK as long as I can’t tell the difference.”

Although she enjoys providing the day’s joke, the senior is serious on reaching her goals and that has resulted in a list of accomplishments.

Olson, who plays the clarinet, has recently been selected to perform for an all-star band in Missoula this November. She explained that music has been nearly a lifetime activity as she started taking piano lessons from Darcia Larsen as a second- grade student.

Olson serves as the president of National Honor Society and also enjoys singing in the school’s choir.

Her favorite school activity is being a member of Culbertson’s cheer squad.

“I like doing my hair and makeup,” Olson said. “Cheer is more fun than running for miles and miles.”

She takes part in a weekly tumbling class in Sidney and hopes to cheer at the collegiate level.

Between cheering and playing for the band, Olson is kept busy when Culbertson has home basketball games. “There’s a lot of popcorn breaks in between,” she laughs.

She is used to running for those “miles and miles” as part of the school’s cross country and track programs. She said she started distance running when she was 11 years old to follow her brother’s footsteps. “So, I did it too and never stopped,” she said.

Last season, Olson placed 19th at the state cross country meet and Culbertson/Bainville earned second in the team competition. She said her goals this season are to finish in the top 15 and bring home another team trophy.

She enjoys track season because there’s more time to socialize between events and an increased number of students are out for the sport.

Olson says her favorite current class is pottery. She ranks fourth in Culbertson’s class of 26 as far as grade point average.

She plans to attend North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., and go into a medical field such as radiology or become an ultrasound

technician.