Kayden believes the success that she has had can be contributed to her family and growing up on a farm. “Growing up farming with my parents and siblings has taught me the value of hard work and dedication. They taught me that I can’t quit things halfway through and that I need to see them to the end. My family has always supported me in all of my endeavors whether it be showing up to all of my events or buying me a new bookshelf for my ever-growing collection of books. My favorite things to do with them are playing games and travelling.”

When asked about her classes that she’s had over the years at Royalton Schools, Kayden says her favorite class was Chemistry, “My favorite class was Chemistry with Mrs. Noerenberg. It wasn’t always the easiest class, but Mrs. Noerenberg always took her time explaining everything to make sure we understood and if we didn’t, she was always open to questions. My favorite part of the class was always being able to work with my friends. It was a great way to end my school day.”

Along with Chemistry being her favorite class, Kayden also identified a couple favorite teachers that have inspired her, “My favorite teachers are two of my Ag teachers and FFA advisors, Mr. Goldade and Ms. Liddane. They always found ways to teach in immersive, hands-on ways that I loved. Their enthusiasm to get students involved in the Ag program inspires me.”

As far as activities in school, Kayden participates in FFA, Knowledge Bowl, MHS, and the Royal Ambassadors Program. Here is what she had to say about those activities, “I enjoy FFA, MHS, and RAP because of the opportunities to help other people. FFA and Knowledge Bowl also give me the opportunity to do things like Livestock Judging with FFA and trivia competitions with Knowledge Bowl. FFA has been the most beneficial because it has helped me to branch out and try new things I wouldn’t have otherwise.”

Outside of school, Kayden is involved in 4-H. She shows beef and sheep. “I enjoy 4-H because of all of the people you get to meet that have similar interests to you. I also love hunting, fishing, reading, hanging out with friends, and being outdoors,” she explained.

Kayden’s favorite high school memory is the Survivor Games and this is why, “My favorite memory from high school is last year on the day of the Survivor Games when my friends and I didn’t have any classes so we talked and played cards all day then got DQ for lunch before going to watch the games.”

Kayden’s favorite event that she was involved with was the FFA Meats Evaluation, “My favorite event I was involved in was the FFA Meats Evaluation team my junior year. A couple other members and I were looking for a trip to State, so we decided to try a competition we had no prior experience in. We practiced twice and went into the competition hoping for the best. We ended up placing first in the region, securing a trip to State. It was a long but happy drive home.”

Looking ahead, Kayden plans to attend St. Cloud Technical & Community College to finish a Finance degree that she started through PSEO. Kayden hasn’t quite figured out what she wants to do with a Finance degree, but in 10 years she hopes to be putting it to good use somewhere, as well as travelling and just living life.

Her advice to freshman was this, “Find the balance between school work and activities that allows you to succeed while enjoying your time in school before it is over.”