High school can be all about fitting in and keeping your cool, especially in today’s fast-paced, Snapchatty world. In this year’s Prep Elite feature, we shine the spotlight on a handful of students who simply aren’t buying the allure of blending in. They excel at sports and in the classroom. They’re standouts in the arts, and they speak up for their favorite causes. They push limits and challenge stereotypes, all while rocking their signature styles and refusing to compromise.
These students are heading into senior year with a steady foothold at the top of their class, but we get the impression they’re just getting started. Meet the Lake Minnetonka Magazine Prep Elite class of 2018.
Aberdeen Morrow
Minnetonka High School
Aberdeen Morrow is part of a tight-knit family who, when they’re not taking months-long road trips, can be found advocating for the environment or women’s rights. She’s on the Minnetonka Theatre costume crew, National Honor Society, Minnetonka First Mates, rowing team, feminist and human rights clubs—and has knitted quite a few pink, cat-eared hats (requested by friends who have her politics and knitting abilities pegged).
Best piece of advice received: “‘Never say no to adventures; always say yes, or else you will lead a very dull life.’ In fifth grade, this quote from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was adopted as our family motto on a road trip, and it’s stuck.”
What’s next for you after high school?
“I’m looking into colleges out East. I’m unsure what I would like to study, but hopefully it’ll be a math-humanities hybrid. Or, since the [2016 presidential] election happened, I really feel like I might need to go into law or political science. I have no idea; I really wish I knew.”
What’s your signature piece of clothing or accessory?
“Without a doubt, my Goodwill corduroy overalls.”
Favorite restaurant: Snuffy’s or Hazellewood brunch
Favorite book: The Alchemist
Favorite hashtag: #EmpoweredWomen
Will Murphy Vossberg
Minnetonka High School
Will Murphy Vossberg—“MV” for short—was an AP Scholar with Distinction his sophomore year. He was the first ninth-grader at his school to qualify for the DECA international competition. He participates in the off-campus Vantage program, speaks Chinese and—though he’s not sure—might follow in his parents’ footsteps to become a Gopher.
On his favorite class: “AP European history is quite interesting, because we learn about almost the entire development of the continent to the present day. I’m always left pondering how the history books will tell the tale of our time.”
What’s one solid piece of advice that someone has given you?
“Do what you love. Too often we lose sight of our true goals because we are blinded by preconceptions of success. High school is a perfect time to determine what you truly want to do in life, rather than just what makes the most money or holds the most distinction.”
What’s your signature piece of clothing or accessory?
“My Apple watch is incredibly convenient. I also love music, so you will be hard-pressed to find me in the hallways without an earbud in.”
Favorite coffee shop: Caribou
Favorite book: The Road by Cormac McCarthy. “Or, honestly, anything other than my AP biology textbook!”
Amy Howarth
Mound-Westonka High School
Amy Howarth is on the cross-country, hockey, and track and field teams at school. She also is involved in DECA, Science Olympiad, robotics and link crew. If that doesn’t sound like enough, she’s also worked with a program to study environmental issues.
Favorite class: “I love engineering because of the mix of visual thinking, math and art aspects that all blend together—and our awesome teacher, Mr. Kimball.”
Best high school experience so far: “Last year, I was fortunate enough to be part of Girls Design the World, where 40 girls came together to identify and propose solutions to environmental issues and create an exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I also got to travel to Kenya with six girls from the program, to see how young women there were addressing issues with groundwater pollution in the slums. I was able to experience the exquisite Kenyan culture and make connections with so many people.”
Signature piece of clothing: “Sweatpants. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love them.”
Best piece of advice she’s received: “Although it sounds quite cliché, just to be yourself. That’s a great rule of thumb to live by; you can only get so far pretending to be someone that you’re not.”
Favorite coffee shop: Nina’s
Andrew Fish
Mound-Westonka High School
From baseball, football and hockey to homework, band and music competitions, Andrew Fish has his hands full, inside and outside the classroom. He’s involved in youth group at his church, works at a camp, and volunteers with Feed My Starving Children and White Hawks Love to Read. But he’s not all serious. His sense of humor comes out loud and clear with his teammates.
Most memorable high school moments: “Probably shenanigans during sports. There’s one guy on my football team who always brings a cooler to practice. He’s kind of a diet freak and brings his protein with him. We put a garter snake in there one day, and when Coach asked him to go get something, he opened the cooler and jumped straight up in the air.”
On what the future holds: “Maybe a degree involving math. I’ve also thought about taking a gap year to travel and see more of the world, before having to have a plan for the rest of my life.”
Planning trick: With all the activities crammed into his schedule, Andrew has to manage time well. He takes full advantage of teachers’ prep periods to get homework done ahead of time.
Andrew in three words: Thoughtful, intelligent, athletic.
Bobby Striggow
Orono High School
Bobby Striggow has been a crucial part of the Orono wrestling and football teams since his freshman year, and he helps make athletics possible for students with disabilities through Project Unify. With two older siblings playing college sports, his super-active family is pretty much always cheering for someone. But there’s more to this guy than sports: He’s a leader among his peers and a solid student. He won’t be the one to brag, though.
About his favorite class: “History. I have always found it interesting to look at the past and analyze what’s gone wrong and, hopefully, think about ways we’ve improved and can improve as a society for the future.”
Most memorable high school experience: “Winning the section title for football. We had a home game, and it was an incredible feeling to play with all our fans screaming like that. And the state wrestling finals—with three mats in the middle of a packed Xcel Energy Center—were up there, too. There’s nothing like competing on those big stages.”
Signature piece of clothing: “Probably a pair of jeans. I’m a pretty relaxed guy.”
Favorite restaurant: Fogo de Chao
Favorite study spot: My couch
Favorite book: Lone Survivor or American Sniper
Bobby in three words: Quiet, athletic, smart.
Olivia Eriksson
Orono High School
Olivia Eriksson has fallen hard for STEM subjects, anchoring the science team and launching a Women in STEM club to spread the word about her passions. At the Wayzata Library, she helps run STEM Saturday to give younger kids hands-on learning experiences. She’s a rower and loves to play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata on the piano.
On her favorite class: “Chemistry, because it’s cool to learn about basically everything that Earth is made of. And calculus, because I like to have formulas and processes that work every time. I also really enjoy the engineering class I’m taking. It’s sort of an applied physics class; we do a lot of hands-on stuff, which is refreshing after a whole day of taking notes.”
Best high school experience so far?
“I walked into the engineering classroom—at the end of a basement hallway—on the first day of freshman year. As more and more guys filed into the room, I started to get confused … thinking, like, where are all the girls? When I got home that night and explained to my parents that I was going to drop the class, they both asked, ‘Why would you do that? You signed up to take the class for a reason!’ Long story short, I ended up not dropping the class, and I’m so glad I didn’t.”
What’s next after high school?
“Right now my dream school would be MIT. It’s the No. 1 engineering school in the country; I want to be a biomedical or chemical engineer.”
Favorite book: Kalahari by Jessica Khoury
Go-to beverage: Iced chai latte
