The Sentinel: Drama Club

SJO senior spotlights with Brady Lewis, Asjah Fonner & Tyler Jones

Brady Lewis

Clubs & Activities

Coffee Club

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
A younger brother

Favorite SJO memories:
He has been a part of the Coffee Club at SJO for the past two years and enjoyed making and delivering coffee to SJO staff members every Thursday morning. Each member of the staff was always happy to see Brady, with or without coffee in hand.

Favorite classes:
Classes with Mrs. Beth Beckett

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Manwaring, Mrs. White, Mrs. Bayles, and Mrs. Beckett.

Advice to future SJO students:
Always do your best.

Asjah Fonner

Clubs & Activities

Drama Club

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
A younger brother

Hobbies:
Creative writing and reading

Favorite SJO memories:
She enjoyed everything about Drama Club and will always remember being a part of the musicals during both her junior and senior years.

Favorite classes:
Journalism and all of her English classes

Favorite teachers:
Mr. Risley at St. Joseph Middle School and Mrs. Alisyn Franzen at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

College:
Parkland College majoring in Secondary English Dducation. She plans to transfer to Eastern Illinois University after two year.

Advice to future SJO students:
Push yourself to finish your homework, and don’t give up on what makes you happy.

Tyler Jones

Clubs & Activities

Drama Club
Football (1 year)

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
Four older and three younger brothers

Hobbies:
Running and playing video games

Favorite SJO memories:
His greatest memories at SJO include his experiences in Drama Club during his freshman and sophomore years, working in the SJO greenhouse during Horticulture class, and attending post prom as a junior.

Favorite class:
Horticulture

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Kirk at St. Joseph Grade School, Mrs. Ford at St. Joseph Middle School, and Mrs. Kelly Steffen and Mrs. Ashley Krisman at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

Military Commitment:
He joined the Army National Guard and reports for Basic Training at Fort Benning on June 15.

College:
Parkland College majoring in Physical Therapy.

Advice to future SJO students:
Do not procrastinate.

Text & photos provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

Under the spotlight with SJO seniors Tom Nichols, Jaiden Freeman & Payton Clements

Tom Nichols

Clubs & Activities

Cross Country, Chorus, Maroon Platoon

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
Two older brothers and a younger sister

Hobbies:
Bike riding, bird watching, and playing video games

Favorite SJO memories:
His greatest memories at SJO revolve around cross country. He enjoyed being a part of the team and the overnight trips for some of the invitationals.

Favorite class:
Journalism

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Pinne at CBCA Middle School, Mr. Steele at St. Joseph Middle School, and Mr. Kiel Duval at SJO.

Career Plans:
Enlisting in the United States Navy

Advice to future SJO students:
Cherish your teenage years and high school memories.

Jaiden Freeman

Clubs & Activities

Drama Club, Art Club

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
Two younger brothers and one younger sister

Hobbies:
Reading, drawing, listening to music, and playing video games.

Favorite SJO memories:
She enjoyed participating in the drama production as a freshman, and she will remember all of the fun moments in Art Club over the years

Favorite classes:
Art, math, Earth and Life Science, and Biology

Favorite teachers:
Mr. Dunker and Mrs. Becky Ford at St. Joseph Middle School and Mr. Don Beckett and Ms. Susan Pensinger at SJO.

College Plans:
Parkland College and then transfer to a four-year university, majoring in Architecture.

Advice to future SJO students:
Please trust me on this: do not procrastinate.

Payton Clements

Clubs & Activities

Bass Fishing (4 years)
Football (3 years)
FFA

Hometown:
Ogden

Hobbies:
Fishing and working on cars

Favorite SJO memories:
His greatest memories center around being a part of the SJO football team and the SJO bass fishing team. He also really enjoyed Homecoming his senior year.

Favorite classes:
While thankful for all the teachers he had, he enjoyed all of his Agriculture Classes.

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Maxwell and Mrs. Howard at PVO and Mr. Robert Glazier, Mrs. Stacey Kietzman, Mr. William Billman, and Mrs. Duitsman at SJO.

College:
Eastern Illinois University, majoring Environmental Science

Military training:
Enlisting in the Army National Guard and begin basic training at Fort Jackson on June 1.

Advice to future SJO students:
Be open about going to social events like Homecoming and et cetera.

Text & photos provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

Spartan Spotlight with Carson Mills

If she had super power, Carson Mills would want it to be the ability to read minds. One of three sisters all born on the same day and graduating together this May, Mills plans to pursue a degree in graphic design after high school.

The Sentinel couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask six questions to learn more about her and what it's like being a triplet.

Sentinel: Out of all of the theater productions you were a part of in high school, which was your favorite and why? Were an actress or part of the crew? What was your main responsibility?

Mills: My favorite theater production was the Lottery my freshman year; I played a dead woman as an extra.

Sentinel: You are going to the University of Cincinnati this fall. What do you see yourself doing with a degree in Graphic Design in ten years?

Mills: With a degree in Graphic Design, in ten years I see myself designing product advertisements or logos for a large company such as Coke or Disney.

Carson Mills

Clubs & Activities

Softball (2 years), Drama Club, Art Club, Spanish Club, SADA Maroon Platoon

Hometown:
Ogden

Siblings:
She and her two sisters, Ava and Bailey, are triplets

Hobbies:
Drawing and hanging out with friends

Favorite SJO memories:
She will remember going to all of the football games during her senior year, and she had a blast cheering on all of the seniors. She has also really enjoyed all four years of Homecoming at SJO.

Favorite classes:
All of her art classes, Spanish with Senor Zak Sutton, and science with Mrs. Jeanna Kerner.

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Max and Mrs. Anderson at Prairieview-Ogden and Senor Sutton and Mr. Kiel Duval at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

College:
University of Cincinnati, majoring in Graphic Design

Advice to future SJO students:
Get involved as early as you can in high school and to go to the games.

Sentinel: Who are three people you would invite to dinner at fabulous restaurant and why?

Mills: Three people I would invite to a fabulous dinner are Timothee Chalamet, Tom Holland, and Dylan O'brien because they are my celebrity crushes.

Sentinel: Oh, about homecoming at SJO, what did you enjoy the most about going?

Mills: What I enjoyed most about homecoming at SJO was dressing up and taking photos with my friends before the dance.

Sentinel: I asked your sisters this, so I will ask you, too: What is the best thing about being a triplet? And of course, the worse?

Mills: The best thing about being a triplet is going through life together and although we each have our own unique experiences, it's comforting to know there are two other people growing with me! Though there are a lot of good times together, the worst part about being a triplet is when my siblings take my clothes.

Sentinel: If you were a superhero, what would be you main super power? Who from SJO would be your sidekicks and why?

Mills: My main super power would be to read minds. My best friends Anna Wentzloff and Katie Cramer would be my sidekicks because I know they will alway have my back!

Profile information & photos provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

Senior Spotlights with Dyllan Price, Mimi Allen & Josh Vice

Dyllan Price

Clubs & Activities

Football (2 years)
Baseball (1 year)
Maroon Platoon

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
Older sister

Hobbies:
Hanging out with friends and family

Favorite SJO memories:
He has had a lot of fun in multiple PE classes throughout his years at SJO. He will also remember the day before spring break in Senor Sutton’s class. "The environment of the class was fantastic."

Favorite classes:
Senora Nelson’s Spanish classes and Ms. Steffen’s match classes.

Favorite teachers:
Mr. William Billman, Senor Zak Sutton, and Mr. Kiel Duval.

Career Plans:
Price plans to enlist in the United States Air Force. He plans to start basic training in July.

Advice to future SJO students:
Try to work hard every day.

Mimi Allen

Clubs & Activities

Track and Field (3 years)
Girls’ Basketball (2 years)

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
She has an older brother and sister as well as a younger brother and sister.

Hobbies:
Being outside, playing basketball, running and walking.

Favorite SJO memories:
Being a part of the girls’ track and field team and the girls’ basketball team.

Favorite classes:
Both math classes with Mr. Kiel Duval and Ms. Kelly Steffen and her art class with Mr. Jake Beccue.

Favorite teachers:
Mr. Beccue, Mrs. Jennifer Brooks, Mrs. Stacey Kietzman, and Ms. Steffen at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

College:
Cincinnati State, majoring in nursing

Advice to future SJO students:
Follow directions, try your best, keep up with all of the work, and to have fun at school.

Josh
Vice

Clubs & Activities

Drama Club

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Hobbies:
Working out at The Zone and helping out at church for the WOW program

Favorite SJO memories:
During his sophomore year when he was member of the stage crew for the fall play.

Favorite classes:
Advanced Biology with Mrs. Stacey Kietzman and Business Law with Mr. Marshall Schacht.

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Bayles at St. Joseph Middle School

College:
Attending Parkland College as undeclared major this fall

Advice to future SJO students:
Take their time learning and maturing and to know that there are plenty of people at the high school to help.

Text & photos provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

SJO Senior Spotlights with Dade Allinger, Karsyn Wetzel and Mallory Ames

Dade Allinger

Clubs & Activities

Boys’ Basketball (4 years)
Youth Wrestling
Spanish Club
Chess Club

Dade Allinger moved to St. Joseph at the beginning of the school year with his family. He has four siblings, three brothers and one sister.

While he has only been a student at St. Joseph-Ogden High School for just one year, Allinger said he has made many great memories.

Trading his orange and blue Bulldog gear for Spartan maroon and Columbia blue, he wore #21 as a member of the boys' varsity basketball team this past winter.

He really enjoyed the electric environment of the Class 2A IHSA regional championship game hosted at St. Joseph-Ogden back in late February.

At the beginning of the season, he came off the bench to contribute five points in the Spartans' 74-39 win over Schlarman at the Toyota of Danville Classic in early December.

Allinger is thankful for the new friendships he cemented during the past nine months at SJO. Moving to the district from Mahomet, he appreciates how welcoming the community has been with him and meeting new people.

After graduation this spring, Allinger will start his college education at attend Parkland College in pursuit of degree in physical therapy. After finish up at Parkland, he plans to transfer to the University of Illinois to continue his studies.

His favorite classes in high school are Economics with Mr. Marshall Schacht and Business Management with Mr. Shawn Skinner.

And, when it comes to favorite teachers, he named Mr. Schacht and Mr. Eric Andracke, who was his woods teacher at Mahomet-Seymour High School, as his favorite instructors during his high school career.

His advice for future SJO students is to stay ahead on homework and to not be afraid to ask questions.

Allinger said his hobbies include spending time with friends and family.

Karsyn Wetzel

Clubs & Activities

Student Council (4 years)
Drama Club (4 years)
Chorus

After high school, Karsyn Wetzel plans to attend Eastern Illinois University and will major in middle school education with an English emphasis.

One of her greatest memories at St. Joseph-Ogden High School was being a part of last year’s musical production, which she says is her absolute favorite experience.

Wetzel said she has also enjoyed her role as a member of the executive board for the Student Council and will always remember Senior Night for the last home football game of the season.

Her advice for future SJO students is to get involved, and to cherish time with friends because high school goes by way too fast.

Wetzel's four favorite classes are U.S. History, Sociology, Advanced Civics, and English 101/102.

Her favorite teachers throughout the years have been Mrs. Jeffers in 6th grade at St. Joseph Middle School and Mr. Marshall Schacht, Mr. Jeff Kieffer, and Mrs. Heather Lindenmeyer in high school.

Wetzel lives in St. Joseph with her mom and dad and two younger brothers. Her hobbies include hanging out with family and friends and working.

Mallory Ames

Mallory Ames' advice to future St. Joseph-Ogden students is don't sweat the small stuff and to live every day like it is your last.

In addition to her interest in photography and cleaning, she likes hanging out with family and friends. How she finds the time for all three is mystery for a student who was actively involved in two sports and five clubs, including Spanish Club, We The People and FFA, during her high school career.

As a member of the SJO FFA chapter, Ames placed 9th in a major career development event at State. At a land use career development event this past September, she earned a fourth-place individual ribbon and helped SJO to a second place team finish.

She and other students competing in the land use competition evaluate soil characteristics including texture, slope and drainage. They then make recommendations for land treatments based on the use, whether it be agricultural, residential or urban.

Clubs & Activities

FFA (4 years), NHS, Bible Club
Spanish Club, We The People
AMP Program, Volleyball (2 years)
Girls’ Basketball (1 year)

She is also the Section 17 reporter, which covers 14 east central Illinois chapters including Arcola, ALAH, Fisher, GCMS, Heritage, Mahomet-Seymour, Monticello, PBL, Rantoul, Joesph-Ogden, Tuscola, Villa Grove, Urbana, and Unity in addition to St. Joseph-Ogden.

She will also never forget the FFA Convention during her junior year in Indianapolis. The experience with friends was a lot of fun she said.

Fellow students will remember Ames for her routine practice of screaming hello to social science teacher Don Beckett on a daily basis.

After graduation, Mallory will move nine miles to the west to continue her education in Agri-Business and Ag Communications at the University of Illinois. She also plans to minor in Spanish.

As her senior year comes to a close, Ames' favorite classes have been AP English IV with Mr. Ryan Searby and American History with Mr. Beckett.

Ames' favorite teachers over the years have been Mr. Steele and Mrs. Cler at St. Joseph Middle School and Mrs. Duitsman at SJO.

She lives in St. Joseph with her mom, dad, and a younger brother.

Photos and text provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School