Kaileigh Poe wins KDKA Extra Effort Award

Katie Zilcosky, Staff Writer

October 28, 2013

Every week, KDKA awards a student who goes above and beyond, hence the “Extra Effort” Award. This past week’s winner was Bethel Park’s own Kaileigh Poe.

Extra Effort Award winners, like Miss Kaileigh Poe, must demonstrate excellence in the fields of academics, athletics, and community service.

Kaileigh is the captain of the girls’ varsity volleyball team, member of the Bethel Park High School slow pitch softball team, and president of the National Honor Society. Clearly, she has a busy schedule.

However, on top of her extracurriculars, Kaileigh manages to maintain outstanding grades. With one of the highest GPAs in the school, Kaileigh is a perfect fit for the Extra Effort Award.

It cannot be easy to balance all of this, but Kaileigh is able to maintain a level head.

Kaileigh said, “I don’t know, I just try to do my best in school and balance that with the sports teams and clubs I am a part of.”

She also takes great pride in this award. For Kaileigh, it is especially special to her from the volleyball perspective.

“This award means a lot to me and to my team because it really gives recognition to the fact that we turned the volleyball program around,” said Kaileigh.

Kaileigh is definitely one of Bethel Park’s top students, as recognized with this award. For those aiming to achieve as highly as Kaileigh does, and maybe be an Extra Effort Award winner, she has a bit of advice:

“Do your best and always challenge yourself in every aspect of high school.”

You can see Kaileigh’s presentation by clicking here.

About the Contributor

Katie Zilcosky, Staff Writer

Have you ever found yourself walking around the high school and wondering, "Who is that girl that looks like Scarlett Johansson?" Well look no further, her name is Katie Zilcosky. Aside from this extreme likeness, there is a lot more to Katie than meets the eye. To say she is involved in Bethel Park High School is a huge understatement. Katie is musically inclined. She plays violin in Concert Orchestra and french horn in Marching Band, in which she is a bus monitor. Katie also has a sporty side. She plays varsity lacrosse for the girls' team in the spring. Katie said, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Yeah I play lax." The majority of Katie's time is consumed with student-run activities. She is the Homecoming Chair of Dance and Decorations and the corresponding secretary of SGA on the Executive Board. "I basically do all of the attendance work. I'm like the mean guy, like giving demerits and stuff," Katie said. Katie maintains a part-time job cashier at Trax Farms, where she is a cashier. Katie's post BPHS plans include majoring in Journalism/International Relations at either Syracuse or American University. As for paying, Katie has a secret. She said, "My father works for Duquesne University, so I am able to enroll in tuition exchange, where I get my tuition covered as if I were going to Duquesne." She hopes to work in foreign services, such as an embassy, someday. She would also like to join the Peace Corp. Obviously, this girl has a lot on her agenda. And yet, Katie Zilcosky will find time to write current events, features, and opinion pieces for Hawk Eye. Wriiten by Zach Laufer, Staff Writer