Michaela Tripp

Michaela Tripp of Bridgton has been selected as the Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club’s “Citizen of the Month” for April.

Each month, the Rotary Club recognizes a Lake Region High School student who displays good citizenship and contributes to the school community. The recipient is honored at a Rotary breakfast meeting and is presented a monetary gift.

Parent: Paula Tripp

Student organizations, sports teams, activities, hobbies: Interact Club, Volleyball, Teens Without Borders

What do you like most about school, why? What I love most about my school is the overwhelmingly positive sense of community. From cheering on our basketball teams, to the Winter Carnival class competitions, to informal chats with my favorite teachers, Lake Region High School has always made me feel like I am part of something special. LRHS is a place I can always call home.

What is your biggest challenge in school? My biggest challenge in school is Physics. Math and science have never been my strong suit, and physics is all math and science so it’s tough for me.

Q. What is your favorite subject, and why? My favorite subject is history. When I was younger, history was just stories. As I got older, I realized history is the study of how we got here today. It’s a long journey that describes all the wars, people, inventions, and disasters that have brought us to this point in time. Learning about history also allows us to learn from the mistakes that we have made and helps us to prevent them from happening again.

If you could change one thing about school, what would it be? If I could change one thing about school, I would change what type of classes that are taught. I think that some of the things that are taught in school are not necessary. I would like to see more classes that teach real life skills, the importance of helping others, and how to build good character/ethics.

What characteristics do you believe a good teacher should possess? A good teacher is someone who is warm, accessible, enthusiastic, and caring. A good teacher is someone that students know they can go to with any problem and/or concern, or even to share a funny story. Great teachers possess good listening skills and take time out of their busy schedules for anyone who needs them.

What goals did you hope to achieve during your high school days? I hoped to gain the real life skills to prepare me for life outside of high school. Time management, communication skills, and how to make a positive, meaningful contribution to my community

What do you hope to do in the future in terms of career, and why are you headed in that direction? I am not sure of the exact career path I will be taking in the future, but I do hope that it will be in the field of service work. Helping others is what I love to do most and to have a career where I am helping people everyday would be the most rewarding job.

What do you think it will take to be successful in the future? I think to be successful I always have to remember that my choices today create my tomorrow. It doesn’t matter what I’ve done, but what I choose to do from here. Successful people don’t look back except to learn and grow and make amends if needed. Once that’s done, I have to focus on choosing what truly matters and pursue it passionately.

What lesson have you learned while at Lake Region High School that will help you in the future? The most important lesson I have learned while at LRHS is that the people you surround yourself with is more important than you think.