Senior Grace Gustafson has pushed to be at the top of her class during her high school career. As student body president, Gustafson has to balance organizing major events with her schoolwork, her social life, attending National Honors Society, and working at her dad’s veterinary clinic. This year has been marked as one of her busiest, and it is easy to see why.

  One of the things that makes Gustafson so busy is her role as student body president. She is in charge of organizing homecoming, schoolwide food drives, and school fundraisers. Gustafson also talks at school assemblies and goes to superintendent meetings. She attended the superintendent meetings once a month, so she can inform the school board about any news and issues from Sheridan High School. These issues can range from active shooter training to requesting to set up another charity or fundraiser for the school.

  However, being student body president is not her only school activity. Gustafson is a four-time All-State violinist, a feat hard to achieve at the high school level. Gustafson has been playing the violin since first grade, and she has been taking private lessons from Sheridan High School and Sheridan Junior High School teacher Razmick Sarkissian since then. “Mr. Sarkissian has taught me to be patient with my learning, as well as with myself,” said Gustafson. Gustafson does not wish to continue the violin in a professional setting; however, she does want to play recreationally.

  Gustafson also works hard in school. She is currently only taking one Advanced Placement (AP) class this year, which is AP Literature, but she has taken four other AP classes in years past. “[AP Brit Lit] is easier to manage than some of the other AP courses,” Gustafson said. “You just have to always put schoolwork first, and then activities come second.” Gustafson noted that it is important to pass your classes, because if you fail those, the activities you do will not matter. The other four AP courses Gustafson has taken are AP Statistics, AP Government, AP US History, and AP Psychology.

  But Gustafson’s hard work will not stop once she graduates high school. After graduation, she looks forward to taking pre-med at the University of Wyoming. UW was her first choice, since two of her older brothers are currently attending school there. After her pre-med program is over, Gustafson is looking forward to attending grad school at the University of Washington in Seattle. She wants to specialize to be an OB/GYN. “I have always been passionate about women’s health,”  said Gustafson. “I have been a fierce advocate of women’s rights to healthcare, and I want to help in any way I can. Going to medical school and becoming an OB/GYN seemed like the best way. Hearing stories about how often women are mistreated or how their problems are not taken seriously has inspired me to be proactive. Whether through supporting Planned Parenthood, simply challenging outdated viewpoints, or becoming an OB/GYN, I just knew that my interest fell within that arena.”

  Gustafson intends on coming back to Wyoming after she completes grad school. She wants to stay involved with this community. “[The community] has given so much to me, and I would like to give back,” said Gustafson. “There are so many different causes, and they always need more help.” She feels that if she can give back even just a little bit of what she’s been given, then it would have been worth it to come back to Sheridan, Wyoming.

  Gustafson draws inspiration from her parents and major female political figures, such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her parents have been there to support her no matter what she was doing, and Gustafson feels lucky to call them her parents. She said, “They’ve always tried to teach me to have good values.” Gustafson has also drawn major inspiration from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is an Associate Justice for the Supreme Court of the United States. “Ginsburg is a very strong leader,” said Gustafson. “She is so inspiring for young women everywhere.”

  Gustafson is the daughter of Shelly and Blair Gustafson.