Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Enstad, Augustine, Seebandt
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 1/27/2016
Enstad, Jessica (Junior Kiwanian - January 2016)
Jessica Enstad
As “a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the works one child, and one community at a time,” Kiwanis International puts great value on the achievements of youth and seeks opportunities to help them succeed in their pursuits. With this mission in mind, the Neillsville Kiwanis Club continues its longstanding Junior Kiwanian program, which spotlights the outstanding talents, commitment and achievements of local high school students.
The club is pleased to have Jessica Enstad as its Junior Kiwanian for the month of January. She is the daughter of Anne and Russ Augustine and is a senior at Neillsville High School. She was introduced to club members by Kiwanian Herman Seebandt and will be participating in the Monday meeting during the month.
This student has a strong passion for working with children. Combined with her interest in volunteering, much of Enstad’s high school years have been spent interacting with them in the community trough babysitting and assisting working mothers with needed child care.
Academically, she is a member of the national Honor Society and the Spanish honor Society. She is in the Spanish Club and has served as class secretary, is the current student council vice president, is a past president of FFA and is in FCCLA. Additionally, in extra-curricular activities, Enstad has received an Academic Letter, multiple FFA awards, was chosen for the DAR Good Citizen Award and represented the school at Badger Girls State. Athletically, she has received a varsity letter with her three-year involvement in cross-country and four years as a member of the track team.
Her commitment to community involvement is demonstrated by her participation in church activities, where she has assisted with pancake breakfasts, the leadership dinner and fall cleanup. Through FFA, Enstad has helped with the highway cleanup, worked teacher luncheons and wrapped gifts for the Angel Tree Project. She volunteers her time as Big Buddy for a group of girls, helping them with homework and social skills. Additionally, she has assisted with the school’s annual blood drives and helped organize the Walk of Hope.
In addition to these numerous activities, Enstad has worked at the Thirsty Book Worm and is currently employed as a cashier at Gordy’s.
This highly motivated student plans to attend Winona State University this fall, where she intends to pursue an elementary education major with a minor in Spanish. Eventually she hopes to obtain a master’s degree with a goal of becoming a guidance counselor.
The Junior Kiwanian program of the Neillsville Kiwanis Club gives recognition to outstanding senior students like Jessica. The program provides an introduction to the concept of a service organization, such as Kiwanis International and encourages life-long involvement in activities that support the youth of the community.
The members of the club welcome Jessica Enstad and look forward to her participation in their January meetings.
