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Wilmes St. Paul's top graduate |
By Laurent
Bonczijk, Newberg Graphic reporter
E-mail Laurent at
lbonczijk@eaglenewspapers.com
|
Erika Wilmes has long curly
hair, a tanned face and an easy smile. On Friday, she will leave the
Buckaroos behind to join Beaver Nation this fall.
The valedictorian at St. Paul High School wants to major in
horticulture. Her concerns were not directed at college quite yet on
this sunny spring morning. Wilmes was training for, and thinking
about, the state track meet. She had qualified to compete in the 4 X
100 relay and the pole vault.
While her goals for the race were modest — “hopefully we’ll pick up
a point or two” — she had her sights set on a much loftier goal for
the pole vault: second- or third-place with a jump of 8 feet 3
inches. “That would be really awesome,” she said.
Wilmes met her goal,
jumping 8 feet 3 inches to finish third at the state meet last
weekend.
Wilmes, whose parents own a nursery business, knew from the start
what she wanted to study in college. Where was a different question.
She looked at Montana State and California Polytechnic State
University as well as Oregon State University. She was a little
hesitant about OSU because it is close to home, but the campus
sealed the deal for her. “In the fall, when the trees are turning,
it’s gorgeous,” she said.
Wilmes expects to take a few business classes and as much Spanish
as she can, because it is a necessity in horticulture in this area.
“I see my parents struggle with it,” she said.
Since her parents will not be bankrolling her education, Wilmes has
applied for a lot of scholarships. So far she has been awarded
$3,500. Hence her plan is to rely on savings and loans.
She will work at a local garden center this summer. “It’s right
down my alley for what I want to study,” she said. Over the years
she has worked at the ticket office of the St. Paul Rodeo, the
county fair, raised pigs and driven a combine. Most of her savings
comes from raising pigs. She raises a couple every year and usually
nets $800 to $1,000 per animal.
Mom and dad are already missing her, “I sense it on weekends, mom
wants me to spend time with her. My dad will miss my guy friends.”
Wilmes has three sisters. |
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From May 23, 2007,
Newberg Graphic
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