Posing with Nancy Hofer, left, of the Bank of Pontiac, which sponsors Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School’s student of the month award, are students nominated for the award for May, from left: Anna Layng, Tessa Boehme, Jackson Hughes, Tyler Cole and Kinzie Bennett. Photos courtesy of Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School counselor Kristin Oyer
PAXTON — Anna Layng of Paxton has been named student of the month for April at Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School.
A daughter of Mark and Cathy Layng, she was nominated for the award by her math teacher, Sheila Pickens.
In her nomination, Pickens wrote:
“Anna challenges herself by taking some of the most rigorous classes at PBL, including AP calculus, senior inquiry and physics. She tries for excellence in her grades and also in her understanding. During class, Anna works well and asks good questions. She is willing to explain problems to others who are having difficulty, yet humble enough to ask for help when she needs it.
“Anna is a leader and an active participant in several extracurricular interests, including bridge team, track and field, National Honor Society and FFA. All of Anna’s activities require teamwork, compromise and flexibility. These are soft skills that Anna has mastered. Anna is interested in pursuing a career in engineering, so she has taken classes to support her future career goals such as ag mech/tech and ag construction. In bridge team, she and her teammate placed third in presentation at the annual Bridge Bust at Purdue (University). At the engineering open house at (the University of Illinois), her team took first place as the most innovative tower and the tower that held the most weight at 3 pounds.
Anna Layng, middle, who was named student of the month for May at Paxton-Buckley Loda High School, poses with Nancy Hofer, left, of the Bank of Pontiac, which sponsors the award, and PBL High School math teacher Sheila Pickens, who nominated Layng for the award.
“Anna is always full of contagious joy! She is kind to all she meets and never without a smile. She gets along with others and builds friendships and work relationships easily. She supports her friends and teammates. That can be seen as she supports her classmates and former teammates at girls’ cross country meets and girls’ basketball games. She even made signs to show her support for the girls’ teams. Anna is thoughtful, kind and compassionate. She models our PBL vision statement of ‘excellence through rigor, relevance and relationships.”
While participating in FFA, track, bridge team and NHS, Layng placed third at state for ag mechanics in surveying, third for bridge team during her junior and senior years, and was a national candidate for the Illinois FFA Agriscience Fair. Outside of school, she has volunteered at the Hands of Christ Food Pantry in Paxton. After high school, she plans to attend a four-year university to earn a degree in mechatronics engineering.
The student of the month award is sponsored by the Bank of Pontiac. The award recognizes PBL High School students who demonstrate the school district’s mission of “excellence through rigor, relevance and relationships.” Teachers nominate students each month, with the winner receiving $50 and the other nominees receiving a $5 gift certificate from Just Hamburgers.
Also nominated for April’s student of the month award were Kinzie Bennett, Tessa Boehme, Tyler Cole and Jackson Hughes.