Jackson's top graduate driven by competitive spirit

What motivates Danielle Daume, Jackson High School's highest achieving senior? It's her competitive spirit.

Daume is one of those students who did it all: basketball, soccer, Future Business Leaders of America, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action, Student Council, National Honor Society and Junior Rotarians. And she still managed to be this year's valedictorian, which earned her a place as one of this year's KFVS 12's Heartland's Best, a yearly campaign by the television station which selects 100 area valedictorians from four states for recognition.

"I like to win, and that carries over to my schoolwork," Daume said. "I like to be the person who does the best on tests and everything, gets the best grades in the class."

2013 Jackson High School Valedictorian - Danielle Daume (Laura Simon)

She owes her success not only to her competitiveness, but also to her stance on what's most important. One of the biggest lessons she had to learn in high school was focusing on schoolwork before anything else.

"I love basketball a lot, but school's always first," she said. "You've just got to prioritize."

Daume will attend the University of Missouri at St. Louis this fall to major in biology. She plans to attend medical school and hopes to work in the surgical field.

She'll also be a new member of the UMSL Tritons basketball team this fall. She's talked to the coaches, met some of the players and is excited to join the team because she feels she fits in with them well.

Daume calls basketball her serious, I-love-it sport, and that stems from beginning at a young age. She dribbled and sunk baskets throughout childhood, playing with her younger brother, Joshua, in the summers. Her parents also love the sport and would load up the family to go play a game at the gym.

Daume's played for several teams -- through school, little league and traveling teams. She's spent the last five summers playing ball and sightseeing with a team made up of girls from Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky. Nashville, Tenn., and Indianapolis are just a few of the big cities Daume experienced through basketball.

Daume enjoys playing the sport, and her family is a big part of her love for the game. Basketball allows her competitive streak to show, but in the end, Daume said she just loves being out on the court.

Daume is going to miss the sports, and not just playing basketball, she said, but going to Jackson's Friday night football games. She'll also miss her school team, and the girls who became good friends of hers over the last few years.

"We got really close," Daume said. "Basketball's a long season, and especially the last two years, we got along really well. We had a lot of fun doing that."

Still, she's excited to move on and meet new people.

"High school starts getting old after a while, and even as big as Jackson is, you know pretty much everyone," she said. "Getting away, meeting new people, I'm excited to get to try living out on my own."

botto@semissourian.com