SIKESTON SCHOLARS: FIVE BEST FRIENDS TAKE TOP SCHOOL HONORS

SIKESTON -- This year's Sikeston Senior High School graduation ceremony honors five remarkable young women as the Class of 2000 valedictorians.

"We all have 4.0s," said Sarah Colwick, one of the five honorees.

She is joined by Blair Leible, Danette Todt, Ellie Miller and Emily Borgsmiller.

From freshman until senior year, no Bs, no A minuses; straight As.

Purists may bemoan selecting more than a single valedictorian, but these scholars saw no other alternative.

"That's a big number," said Leible, "but I thought it was neat we had so many."

"I'm happy that all five of us got it," said Todt.

"They couldn't have picked just one," said Colwick, noting all five took nearly the same classes.

"We all took very difficult courses."

"I think its really special that we have five," said Miller. "We all worked really hard and deserve it." "We have been best friends since middle school," noted Miller, adding she felt the group was always supportive rather than competitive -- a sentiment repeated by several of the teens.

"I just think it's neat that we've all been friends and all have maintained it for all four years," said Leible.

"We all go way back," said Colwick. "We all went to preschool together, except for one." Delighted as they are, the achievement was not unexpected. Colwick said she was aware "that we were all up for it" since the end of their freshman year when they were all tied with 4.0s.

Not that it came easy.

"I've had to work really hard -- especially my senior year," said Todt. "The pressure was constant." "English IV with Mrs. Nina Graves was the hardest class I ever took," recalled Leible. "I think it was hard for all five of us."

Borgsmiller agreed. "I worked hard for it, I didn't let myself slack off," she said, adding their senior year was "the hardest to keep focused and keep my head on straight."

Impressive enough as perfect school marks all through high school are, the achievement is even more extraordinary in that all five valedictorians remained very active in "a bunch of extracurricular activities as well -- we don't just study," said Colwick.

To list just a few, two worked as part of the Growler's staff, all five are in the National Honor Society, four served on the student council, and all five are Red Peppers, two of whom are officers.

Additionally, all five attend the Christian Youth Fellowship at the First Christian Church in Sikeston.

It hasn't been easy, but Todt is glad she stuck with it. Acknowledging their performance over the last four years as "a great accomplishment," Todt is keeping her goals realistic for her continuing education at University of Missouri at Kansas City where she plans to complete the six-year medical program.

"I'm not going to expect (valedictorian)," said Todt. "I'm going to try hard, though." Colwick will be rooming with Todt at the University of Missouri at Kansas City and will take the same medical program.

Miller will attend the University of Missouri at Columbia and major in biomedical engineering while rooming with Borgsmiller, who is still undecided on her area of study.

Leible will go to Westminster in Fulton by herself to study communications, but doesn't mind as she considers herself more individualistic, comfortably pursuing her interests on her own.

As for advice for underclassmen who would like to maintain straight As: "Study and don't procrastinate," said Colwick. "I've seen what it does to other people's grades."

"Study and don't wait until your senior year to try and get good grades," advised Todt.