Senior Ella Kessner has made a tremendous impact on the livelihood of Sheridan High School. Kessner has the ability to fill the room with smiles and laughter. Her pure kindness radiates to whomever she is near, which is one of the characteristics that makes Kessner stand out among the crowd. Kessner has many important roles within SHS and has done a phenomenal job with making a truly positive impact on the community, school, and anyone that surrounds her. 

   Since Kessner was five, she has played soccer. Throughout her high school career, Kessner has had success within her team. The Lady Bronc soccer team made it to state Kessner’s sophomore year for the first time in a while. Kessner has made lots of memories from her four years on the soccer team, but her favorite memory was “winning the constellation bracket at state last year after losing the first game of state,” said Kessner. As she plays her final season of high school soccer, Kessner has goals of making it to state and placing this season. “Coach Rizer has been the most influential person in my soccer career because he always pushes me to be better,” said Kessner. Not only has she played soccer throughout high school, but Kessner has also been a strong runner on the cross country team. “Ella is driven, she does all of the little things right,” said cross country coach Issac VanDyke. 

   Along with being a student-athlete, Kesser is also a member of clubs within the school such as the National Honors Society. The National Honor Society recognizes high schoolers who meet high academic standards. Today, over one million students participate in the NHS, which has chapters around the world. Each chapter volunteers at their school and in the community. Kessner serves four hours or more of community service each semester, volunteering at local elementary schools and gardens around Sheridan. It is obvious that Kessner clearly has strong character traits that will help her greatly in her future. NHS emphasizes leadership and service, and it is evident that Kessner takes pride in these attributes. “I would say that Ella is a silent leader,” said Vandyke. “She always leads by example. She doesn’t need a spotlight. She works very very hard in class. I have never had her have a missing assignment or late assignment. She is very driven that way, and in practice, she is going to work as hard as she can, and everyone is going to follow what she does and she is never going to take reps off.” 

   As Kessner goes about her senior year, she is taking many classes to help prepare her for her future, including multiple advanced placement classes, giving her college credits. She is taking Nutrition, Public Speaking, AP Calculus, and AP Biology. Along with those, Kessner is also interning at Sheridan Hospital in radiology to get some hands-on experience in the field.  “Academically, she just gets after it,” said Vandyke. “She never wants to get behind and she always wants to be ahead, and she does strive for excellence.” For many seniors, senior year is about figuring out what to do in the future and what to study if the students go to college or trade schools. For Kessner, she has a set plan for the next four years. “I plan to attend the University of Wyoming and major in biology,” said Kessner. 

   Throughout Kessner’s four years of high school, she has made a great impact on those around her. On both sides of academics and athletics, Kessner will be greatly missed by those who have had the chance to teach and coach her throughout her high school career. Her involvement in the various clubs and activities has allowed her to flourish throughout high school and truly find the person she is going to be. Kessner has developed into a very hardworking, genuine, and phenomenal person. Those around her believe that she is going to only prosper as her life continues, regardless of what the future holds, due to her naturally positive personability. 

   Kessner is the daughter of Jami and Kevin Kessner.