Successful high school graduates talk motivation

Chaffee High School graduate Erica Welter knows what she wants. Success. It's her motivation, what fuels her drive. She's already had a taste of it, becoming valedictorian of her class, being involved and holding leadership roles in school activities. But she's ready to move on to a new challenge.

Welter will attend Southeast Missouri State University in the fall to major in communication disorders with a Spanish minor.

Erica Weleter (Adam Vogler)

A love of humanities and English literature led Welter down a path of rigorous self-analysis. What did she want to do with her life? She couldn't see the return value of these degrees in her financial future. Welter researched and explored until communication disorders felt right. She then would have the option to go into speech pathology for her master's degree.

Welter took as many dual credit classes as she could, accumulating more than 30 credit hours that will transfer to Southeast. She planned her classes ahead of time so she can graduate in three years.

In high school, Welter received her black belt in Taekwondo, was president of Beta Club and FBLA public relations officer. She was a member of French Club, FCCLA and pep club.

Welter is a quiet person and leads by example.

"They're all doing their own things if they don't have a leader," she said. "Someone to keep them together and try and keep them on track."

Welter doesn't get stressed too often, but if life gets a little too hectic, she finds a quiet place to read and think. She's a voracious reader, mostly fantasy and science fiction.

In ten years, Welter can see herself working with people to help them express themselves. She may be in graduate school.

"Keep focused," she said. "If you don't know what you want to major in, just do your research. You can find a lot of things online. I did hours and hours of research to figure out what I wanted to do."

Jasmine Adams

Jasmine Adams' motivation comes from a deeply-ingrained perfectionist mentality. She doesn't like doing things wrong. She also looks to her mom as an example for the kind of woman she wants to be.

"She works hard at everything she does," Adams said. "She makes sure that she does her best, so I make sure I do my best. She's always asking, ‘Do you have homework? Is there anything you have to be doing? Is there anything you can be doing to be productive?'"

Jasmine Adams (Laura Simon)

Adams graduated as Sikeston High School's valedictorian and will attend Truman State University in the fall.

She is not sure what she wants to study, but is leaning toward English and maybe journalism.

"I like talking to a lot of different people and getting all of the information together to write a story," she said.

Adams was co-editor of her high school paper, the Bulldog Barker. She'll miss the paper's staff. Each year, the new group of juniors and the seniors would crowd around a table and play spoons to get to know each other.

Adams also was a flute player and drum major in the marching band. She was a member of NHS, choir and the pep club, the Red Peppers. She's involved with the First United Methodist Church youth group and attends the North Acres General Baptist Church.

"I just kind of managed my time when I had to, but it all kind of came down to what was most important to me," she said.

Adams also acted in her school's plays. Her favorite character she portrayed was Aldonza in "Don Quixote" during her junior year, a girl with an attitude who had a fun personality and fell in love.

"I like being onstage," she said. "Some people kind of say it's a pain to try and memorize all the lines, but that's probably my favorite part."

Adams auditioned and made Truman's marching band, and she hopes to make choir. She also wants to write for a magazine or paper on campus and work on the set of Truman's productions.

Adams will miss her friends and her high school teachers, but freedom and independence beckon. She looks forward to the opportunities Truman will provide.

"Truman seemed like a college that would challenge me a little more," Adams said. "The people that were there were a lot like me, and they did things like me and had the same drive."

botto@semissourian.com