Medicine, political science on horizon for May Teens of the Month

MARION – Pleasant senior Paige Sims can leap and dance. She can also lead a half-ton steer around a pen, hit a tennis ball with authority and ace an Advanced Placement exam. Sims says all the hours spent in barns, dance floors and libraries have been worthwhile.

"My family has always been very supportive of me, always encouraged me to be involved in things," said Sims, who plans to attend Ohio State University in Columbus to study political science in the fall.

"Everyone gets to a point where they ask themselves, 'Wow, why and I doing so much stuff?' But now that I'm at the end of my high school years, I'm grateful for my parents, not pushing me, but maybe stretching me," she said.

Sims and Harding senior Win Adissem were chosen Marion Star Teens of the Month for May.

Dance and politics

Sims has been dancing since she was 3, and her final, year-end recital for Edye Cook's School of Dance at the end of May will be bittersweet for her.

"It will be so weird for me next year, not having dance class to go to every night, something I've been doing since I was a child. I'll have to find some dance opportunities in Columbus," Sims said.

"It seems like now, every performance is my last, every concert, every game is my last, not just last of the season, but last of my high school years. It's become very emotional for me," she said.

Sims also performed in show choir and spring musical productions throughout her four years at Pleasant, culminating in a lead role playing the ditzy office flirt Hedy LaRue in "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

"I could relate to Hedy because she was outgoing, a totally over-the-top character. But she was sneaky and used her looks to get ahead, something I don't admire. Still, she was fun to play. Until then, I was always a dancer or in the chorus," Sims said.

For a while, Sims thought maybe dance and theater might be her calling. Later, she began to wonder whether the performance life would offer the stability she wanted.

"I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, but my dad suggested I'd make a good lawyer. I'm not sure about the law, but I loved my government class. I enjoy watching political news with my dad," she said.

Sims says her own political views aren't entirely formed yet and that she mostly follows her parents' lead.

"In AP government class, we had debates on the issues of the day, but we haven't really covered the war on terror much, which surprises me. It's something my generation is definitely involved in, but I'm not 100 percent certain of the reason for it," Sims said.

"I just registered to vote, but I'm surprised how little I really understand some of the issues. I'll bet my friends are the same way. I'm excited to become more knowledgeable and find my own voice," she said.

Sims carries a 3.94 grade-point average, is a member of the National Honor Society and has been a 4-H participant for the last five years, culminating in winning a reserve champion market steer in 2013. Her parents, Stacey and Todd Sims, raise corn, soybeans and show cattle, grounding Paige in the duties and rhythms of daily farm life.

Sims said her farming roots and small-school background made choosing such a large campus a natural choice for her college career.

"I always wanted to go to a bigger school. When I visited Ohio State, there was just so much going on, so much diversity, I knew it was a good fit because it is completely different than what I'm used to," she said.

"I'm ready. Now, at the end, I look back at all I've been involved in and realize it's all made me understand all types of people. My academics, the athletics, the theater, agriculture, it's all made me ready. And I've got my family to thank for that," Sims said.

Leadership and medicine

Adissem is both a good student and a popular guy: He accumulated a 3.4 (4.9 weighted) grade point average and was elected senior class president this year.

But he didn't feel Harding High School had enough unity among the diverse student body when he arrived as a freshman. The school didn't have enough spirit, as far as he was concerned. He wanted to change that.

"My main goal was to make Harding more friendly all the way around. There seemed to be a lack of school pride, and I wanted to get involved," Adissem said.

Adissem ran for student council as a freshman and won. He was elected president in his freshman, junior and senior years. He participated in Leadership Retreat Planning Committee and the My Voice program, designed to give students a voice in their school. Adissem said he didn't want to be just popular; he wanted to become a leader among his peers.

The student council was instrumental in planning the school's first United Day of Service, which sent student volunteers throughout the community to read to children, entertain senior citizens, clean up parks and assist at the Marion Dog Pound.

"I've played tennis for four years, and I feel like we should support our athletes, regardless of the success of the teams. They are our classmates out there," Adissem said.

Adissem plans to study chemistry at OSU in the fall on his way to a medical degree. He'd like to be a cardiac surgeon some day and volunteer his services to Doctors Without Borders, and international organization of health care providers who work in war-torn areas and regions devastated by natural disasters.

Adissem credits Harding High School with exposing him to Mock Trial, Advanced Placement English and the art classes were he learned to make ceramic pottery on a potter's wheel. The classes rounded out and balanced his devotion to sciences, he said.

"I really enjoyed AP English. It was the smallest class I ever had at Harding. We read 'The Great Gatsby,' 'The Grapes of Wrath,' 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,' the classics. And then we'd have these great discussions, and sometimes arguments, on the meanings of the stories and the characters. I loved the debates," he said.

"I'm looking forward to Ohio State. There are so many opportunities there. I'm going to put my academics first, but I'm definitely looking for a ceramics club. I don't want to loose what I learned in art class," Adissem said.

jsmiller@gannett.com

Twitter: @motionblur56

Award criteria

The Marion Star's annual tradition awards area high school seniors for their efforts in academics, activities and volunteerism.

The Star's teen board consists of about five students from each of Marion Harding, Pleasant, Ridegedale, River Valley, Elgin and the Tri-Rivers Career Center. Each high school nominates one male and one female candidate each month.

Nominees must complete a nomination form, submit a one-page essay and provide a letter of recommendation, all of which are forwarded to The Marion Star. To ensure anonymity, names, addresses, phone numbers and anything pertaining to a school or individual are marked out and candidates assign a nickname.

The selection process concludes in May as the board selects two Teens of the Year. They will be honored May 14 at a luncheon at the Marion Area Chamber of Commerce.