When a candidate for Miss America says she wants to fight world hunger, it typically invites a universal groan and a roll of the eyes.
But when Clara Wicoff says it, you come away feeling she just might do it.
Wicoff is one of eight valedictorians in the 2016 graduating class of Iola High School.
She first gained headlines as a middle school student when she won the state spelling bee and continued the feat for the next two years.
Wicoff said that intense focus on learning thousands of obscure words taught the youngster how to prepare for events and how to set goals.
Attending the national spelling bee in Washington, D.C. was an eye-opener, she said.
“I enjoyed meeting other youths from across the country. And I met kids who are definitely a lot smarter than I am.”
Looking back, those years “seem like a different period of my life,” she said.
For Wicoff, 18, doing her best is part-and-parcel to her nature.
That attitude is how she came to earning all A’s through high school as well as 50 hours of credit from classes she has taken simultaneously at Allen Community College.
She scored a 35 on the ACT, a college admissions exam, which she took her sophomore year. An above-average score for the comprehensive exam is 24-27.
Her good grades and scores have qualified her for about $95,000 in college scholarships. Her most recent award is being named a National Merit Finalist, which includes a $2,500 stipend.
From here, Wicoff will attend Kansas State University where she plans to major in agricultural economics and food science technology, with a minor in global food distribution. While at KSU she also plans to follow the pre-law track to groom her for law school. Her specific interest is in patent law.
The current process for securing a patent — be it for an innovative technique or piece of machinery — “stifles agricultural innovations,” Wicoff said.
Eventually, Wicoff said she sees herself working for the United Nations in its USAID agency to yes, fight world hunger, through sustainable food production in third world countries.
IT’S NOT ALL about saving the world for Clara.
