Seniors greet final year with a smile

Today is a first day of many lasts for Iola High School’s Class of 2019.
The last first day began bright and early for 78 IHS seniors, including a quartet — Katie Weide, Dalton Kerr, Hailei Gregg and Natalie DeGrado — who visited with a Register reporter shortly before classes began.
“I’m kind of happy to see people I’ve known all my life, but it’ll be sad knowing this is the last year,” Gregg said. “I don’t think it’ll hit us until graduation.”
All four have followed a “typical” high-schooler’s trend, loading up on the mandatory and most difficult classes in grades 9-11, then enrolling in a lighter schedule for their senior year.
But that doesn’t mean they’ll be coasting.
As seniors, all four are required to serve as interns at various locales in the community.
Weide will serve her internship at Allen Community College, where she’s enrolled in several dual-credit courses; Kerr within the high school art program; Gregg at Audacious Boutique in downtown Iola; and DeGrado with a local veterinarian.
The school has tightened its internship rules to ensure all students remain active, Weide explained.
“It used to be kids would ‘intern’ with their parents and just stay home,” chuckled Weide, who is eyeing either attending Wichita State or Kansas State after high school.
The other three plan to attend ACC before branching elsewhere. Kerr is headed to the University of Kansas; Gregg eventually Pittsburg State University and DeGrado to K-State.
And while time slips away rapidly as the years roll along, each of the four plans to enjoy their senior year.
“I’m looking forward to making memories,” DeGrado said. “But right now, we’re just getting things worked out on our first day.”