GreatNews.Life Student Voices: Athletic, academic, and agricultural achievements highlight success at LPHS

What’s recently happened?

The Indiana Association of School Principals has just recognized four La Porte High School (LPHS) students as Indiana Rising Stars. Andrew Bussie, Evan Howes, Nicholas Perra, and Josie Smith have all been selected for this honor. 

This is a non-competitive recognition program for high school juniors for their academic achievement. Each school identifies outstanding students in hopes of increasing their visibility and scholarship opportunities. Up to four students can be recognized per school year. 

“Earning the Rising Stars of Indiana award means a great deal to me. I have always pushed myself to go above and beyond in everything that I do, and while I do not do what I do to receive awards or recognition, awards, especially ones as prestigious as this one, certainly push me to keep improving and keep doing my best,” Bussie said. 

These Slicers have been working hard since freshman year for this great honor, and they plan to continue working hard into the future. Congratulations to these students, and keep up the hard work.

What’s coming up?

Two members of the LPHS Girls Wrestling team –  Seniors Aubrey Klettke and Anastasia O’Shea – have qualified for Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) State finals. This will take place on January 16.

Earlier this year, Klettke placed first at the Sectional wrestling meet at Hobart High School on January 2. Now, both girls placed runner-up in their respective weight classes at Plymouth High School on January 10, which has led them to advance to the State level. 

Klettle is La Porte’s first Girls Sectional champion, and this will be her second trip to the State finals, placing 10th in the state in 2024. O’Shea placed 13th in the state last year. Both are Duneland All-Conference selections and Academic All-State selections in their weight classes.

The LPHS Girls Wrestling team is led by Head Coach Louis Kuzdas and Assistant Coaches Jason Brown, Mike Eldridge, and Ray Goss. 

Staff spotlight: 

Whitney England is one of the LPHS agriculture teachers, and she is taking over as one of the co-advisors for Future Farmers of America (FFA).

England has been teaching at La Porte Community Schools for over 15 years. She previously taught English at La Porte Middle School for 10 years, and agriculture for five. Currently, she teaches animal sciences and agricultural fabrication. 

The FFA program is relatively new at LPHS, and England is excited for the opportunity to work with the students in a variety of fields. She will focus on the livestock side of FFA, while Sue Parsons will be focusing on the environmental side. Together, they aim to bring students into the world of FFA and show how beneficial and rewarding this program can be. 

“I would really like to see kids have more interest in competing in some kind of career development events and really try to build strong teams. I know in the past they have had some trouble getting kids interested in doing it and following through once they sign up. My goal is to try and make training sessions and practices informative so that they really want to compete and get better,” England said.

Outside of FFA, England was a 10-year 4H member and is still a 4H leader. She worked in both types of events, showing sheep and draft horses, as well as cake decorating, photography, and gift wrapping.

England, while a current agriculture teacher, previously taught English, and throughout her teaching career has kept consistent goals as an educator. She aims to give lessons that are genuinely interesting in the subject area that is being discussed. By creating labs and activities that relate to the course material, she gives students opportunities to experience the material hands-on in a way that not many other classes do. 

“Now that I’m teaching at the high school, I’m really excited because I feel like now I have an opportunity to really challenge some kids in an area where they may not have been challenged. I have a lot of freedom to show them things that they may not have known previously. I want students to feel empowered by their education and let them know that their knowledge is power, and that the more they know, the better,” England said.

England is making an immense impact on the students at LPHS. She plans to bring her 4H background into the world of FFA, and she hopes to help the group compete to the best of their ability. She also hopes to empower her students with knowledge and education that will stay with them even past high school.

Student spotlight:

Ava Godwin is a senior at LPHS who has just received the Posse Scholarship for Case Western Reserve University for nursing. 

Godwin has been extremely active all throughout LPHS, being in marching band, pep band, Spanish Club, Tri-M Music Honors Society, National Honors Society, and Academic Super Bowl. She served as secretary for Tri-M and was previously the mellophone section leader for the La Porte Marching Band. She has also taken a variety of honors, dual credit, and AP classes, including AP World History, AP Research, AP Calculus BC, AP Physics, AP Spanish, and many more. 

Outside of academics, she has been playing the horn for seven years and has participated in community symphony orchestras and the LPHS Advanced Wind Ensemble. Godwin hopes to continue her music journey in college, working in a symphonic band or otherwise. 

“I tried out the instrument in sixth grade, and I immediately loved the rich sound. Now, I plan on joining a symphonic band in college and potentially minoring in music, although I don’t know if marching is in my future yet. I would love to continue performing with a local symphony if the opportunity is presented,” Godwin said.

The Posse Scholarship is a prestigious, full-tuition leadership award for talented high school students, covering tuition at top universities and pairing scholars with mentor groups for strong campus support. Godwin applied for this scholarship last May, which required information similar to a college application, and she then went through an interview process that included group activities and interviews. With this scholarship, she receives full tuition at no cost, which is a high honor for any student.

“With this scholarship, currently, I plan to pursue a degree in nursing from Case Western Reserve University, and my ultimate career goal is to become a registered nurse anesthetist,” Godwin said. 

Godwin has been working since her freshman year in nearly every aspect of high school, from music to academics, and she is excelling in every subject. With membership in multiple honors societies, experience in community symphonic bands, and previous leadership skills, Godwin is prepared to stand out in each field she enters.