METROPOLIS, Ill. — Emily Burkhart has a distinction few others can boast: She was honored on her school’s academic wall of fame.
The 18-year-old Massac County High School senior earned the wall of fame spot with a 4.0 grade-point average, a 31 ACT composite score and by ranking first in her class of 142 students.
Jennifer Shidal, Burkhart’s Advanced Placement English teacher, said, “Emily is bright, energetic, compassionate and genuinely well-rounded. Her grades have been consistently above average in all of her courses. ... In class, Emily is a model student.”
Fellow teacher Sue Bremer agreed.
“(Burkhart) is truly an outstanding student and is one of the most conscientious students that I have ever taught,” Bremer said. “She is very hardworking and also very intelligent. I know that she will be successful in whatever field she chooses because of her work ethic.”
Burkhart has been a member of her school’s academic team since 2007, a member of the Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering team since 2008, National Honor Society since 2010, Cultural Awareness Club since 2008, Student Council since 2007, the chess team since 2010 and the Girl Scouts since 2000. She is also a member of the student leadership team, math team, accounting challenge team, business skills team, German Club, Key Club, Drama Club, Biology Club and Bible Club. She volunteers through the Girl Scouts, National Honors Society, Key Club and Biology Club. To hear Burkhart explain her community involvement, watch the video interview at paducahsun.com.
Burkhart has been awarded the Girl Scout Silver and Bronze awards and has been on her school’s honor roll all four years of high school. She was selected to be a member of the National Society of High School Scholars, and is a United States Achievement Academy member and was named an Illini Girls State 2010 Citizen. Burkhart was also given the Sabrina Dawn Atkinson credit for escrow scholarship for two years at Shawnee Community College in Ullin.
Burkhart, daughter of Shawn and Patty Burkhart, is the Murray State University Teen of the Week. Each Monday, the Sun features a different MSU Teen of the Week selected from nominees submitted by high school guidance counselors throughout western Kentucky and southern Illinois. In May, a Teen of the Year will be chosen from the weekly winners, earning a $5,000 scholarship to Murray State. Teen of the Week is part of the Sun’s Newspapers in Education program.
After graduation, Burkhart plans to attend the University of Kentucky’s Paducah campus and study chemical engineering. Burkhart said she loves chemistry, so a chemical engineering degree seems like the perfect fit. She hopes to pursue a career in dentistry.
Contact Danielle Ray, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8657.
