Seniors Mallory Lafever and Shreya Khurjekar were nominated in late February as the Iowa Governor’s Scholars. The two will make the trip to Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines, Iowa in April to be recognized for their top level academic achievements throughout high school.
Khurjekar and Lafever were initially unaware of the meaning of the nomination, but upon further notification of the award, they realized how great of an honor they had received. PV was allowed to nominate two students due to the school’s size.The two were chosen due to their success in academic and extracurriculars alike.
Lafever is an extremely talented athlete, participating in four sports: cross country, basketball, track and field and softball. Not only has she been a varsity athlete within these sports, she has two state championships under her belt. Being an in season athlete year round requires prioritization and organization with schoolwork and other activities. Lafever has tackled tough schedules with many honors classes since her freshman year.
Khurjekar is also involved in a wide array of activities. She is a four year member of the tennis team, is a member of the 2018 Iowa All State band, and enjoys volunteering with Hand-in-Hand [an organization dedicated to providing opportunities to children with all abilities]. Khurjekar has also shown impressive work in academics. She began taking high school classes in junior high and has received high honors throughout her high school career.
Aside from recognition of the students at the ceremony, students attending the event are asked to invite a teacher from elementary, junior high or high school who has had a large impact on their education. The event directors strongly believe in the importance teachers have towards students’ learning.
Pleasant Valley’s two selected students are prime examples of the type of students that the Governor’s Office, the Iowa High School Athletic Association, and its title sponsor, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, look for in recipients of this award.
The Executive Director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, Alan Beste, commented on the involvement of recipients: “We know that 99% of the students who are here are involved in athletics and/or fine arts activities in their school. Seventy-seven percent are going to go on to college. So they really are the well-rounded students, they’re not just academic, but they also represent other aspects of their schools.”
