Among many students at Montoursville High School, certain students go above and beyond in every aspect of their lives and deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments. They achieve high grades, balance several extra-curriculars and above all else demonstrate leadership and dedication to everything they’re involved with. One student, senior Karleigh McKenna, meets and exceeds all of these attributes.
A defining facet of McKenna’s high school experience would definitely be found in her work on the school Mock Trial team– starting in the spring of her freshman year and completing her senior year as a two-year captain. Her dedication consistently pays off with how well she manages the team, and it is shown in her ranking as the team’s “Best Lawyer” – receiving consistent 10s in every category.
“…I would say [she’s] “marvelous,” said McKenna’s younger sister, Tori. “When I see Karleigh in a Mock Trial competition I know before she speaks she’s going to be confident and clear. Her Mock Trial work expresses herself as a person.”
On top of her relentless dedication, McKenna comes from a family with six kids. She divulges that it’s quite difficult, however with certain boundaries and routines, she’s able to manage everything. She is able to divide things into “…my family time, my work time, and my clean and help out time.”
Furthermore, McKenna’s commitment to her family is only strengthened by her connection with the Christian faith. She single-handedly started and manages the school’s Bible study.
“I’m most fascinated with how easily she can share and talk to others about the Bible. She has gotten so many people to take notice of God… Most importantly over the years Karleigh has learned to be confident in her faith, which is amazing,” said Tori when discussing their shared admiration of their Christian faith.
On top of Mock Trial, her faith and balancing a chaotic family, McKenna engages in many other endeavors in and out of school.
She is the president of the senior class, and has been for her entire high school career. She is active in Student Government, and thrives under loads of AP and honors course work. Her ambitious tendencies even led her to take on the school musical this year: “The Little Mermaid” – earning a role as a “Mersister.” This commitment specifically showcases her range considering the rigorous rehearsal schedule.
When discussing why she joined she said it was a mix of an admiration for the stage, and all of the “theater kids” had been encouraging her relentlessly. Plus, “…I’m in everything else, why not be involved in the school musical.”
Outside of school, McKenna maintains a part-time “axepert” position at the Hatchet House – a local establishment sanctioning recreational axe throwing. Essentially, McKenna describes her job as “Getting assigned a group… teaching them all of the rules… and supervising them so they don’t do anything stupid… you could consider me a manager.”
After high school, she plans on attending Penn State University for Business Administration and Law, possible double major, reflecting the amount of work ethic she will continue with in college.
Considering her insane work-life balance, McKenna said she wished to advise underclassmen that a routine is essential for a successful high school career.
“It might take a little bit, but once you get a routine down, you’ll figure out what study methods work for you, and how to fit family, work, and life into an extreme schedule.”
Featured photo (at top): Karleigh Mckenna receives her “Best Lawyer” award at the Pitt Cathedral Classic for Mock Trial. She had just completed two days of rigorous competition in which she won all of her cases. Photo by Josh Berwanger
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