An Introduction to Katy Rose Baker

If you know Katy well, you know her for her strong will, tenacity, independence, goal orientation and a personality so full of life you can feel when she's near.

She would brighten your day if you'd let her. Some people didn't get it, but so many people do. On a recent trip, Katy told me, "Mom, I love everybody. I know it doesn't seem that way sometimes but I love everybody!!!"

When Katy is asked what the perfect career would be she says if she could get paid to study, that would be it. She loves school, at least when she is given the freedom to learn. She is one person away from the youngest in her class but she should have been at least two grades ahead. She begged me to change to a different school, and looking back, knowing what I now know, I wish I could have found one of the schools that give more credit for the advanced courses that she did so well in.

Katy is a straight-A student. The only mar in her grades was a B+ one semester by a gym teacher. Physical activity is important and I appreciate that we have gym class but it should never, ever count as a grade. Neither should art or music. I won't go on about the system except to say that it cost a whole lot of money for one B+ and it stinks.

Wanting to become a neuro-spinal surgeon, Katy has taken academic courses throughout high school and attended a ten-day Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine by collecting donations from people, groups and businesses in town, which I matched. She also attended UWMC her high school senior year under the state's Youth Options program and earned 24 college credits before her freshman year even starts. She was accepted into UW Madison with an honors housing scholarship but has decided to stay closer to home the first year or two and is attending UW Eau Claire in their honors program.

Her second love is Accounting, which I think she secretly loves most. Whatever Katy decides to do, I hope she loves every day of it.