Drive, determination behind KC class president's recipe for success
Nicole McAllister is taken by the innocence and vulnerability of children who have cancer.
“I want to be the someone who can give these kids hope,” said McAllister, a senior at Karns City High School.
At 17, McAllister already has a map of what she wants to accomplish in life as well as the foundation and ambition to get there.
“I have the ability, and I know if I keep working hard I can get there,” she said. “I'm passionate about my future and being a doctor.”
It's that type of go-getter attitude that propelled McAllister to senior class president this year.
Karns City, she said, is a small, everybody-knows-everybody school. And her class of just over 120 students voted her president, she said, “because they knew I'd take charge, get things done.”
McAllister's presidential duties include tasks such as preparing the senior T-shirts and assembling a slide show of classmates for the prom.
It's a small to-do list compared to the overall activities McAllister engages in.
She played piccolo in the marching band from seventh grade until this year when she led the group as drum major.
She plays piccolo in the pep band and snare drum in the percussion ensemble.
She competes with the winter guard, math team, speech and debate team and the “ACE” academic competition.
She's also in the German Club and in the stage crew for drama club.
“The more stuff she is involved in, the better she handles it,” said mother Colleen McAllister. “I never have to push her. She pushes herself... She says, ‘This is what I'm going to do,' and then she does it.”
Nicole McAllister said her impressive list of activities don't get in the way of her studies.
She's carrying a 4.1 grade point average and would be in the running for valedictorian, if the district had one.“(The other class officers and I) are trying to get back the valedictorian,” McAllister said. “But I don't think it will happen.”After graduation, McAllister has plans to study premedicine at Gannon University. After three years there, she will transfer to Ross University in the Caribbean to finish her degree. Then, she will do studies in her desired specialty: pediatric oncology.McAllister said her interest in being a cancer doctor began in the sixth grade when she read a book about a girl who was diagnosed with cancer and was given 6 months to live.In the years since then, McAllister said she wavered between wanting to be a doctor or a teacher, then ultimately picked the career that combined her passions of medicine and children.“Children are so innocent and they need help,” she said. “When it comes to cancer, they are almost helpless. I feel I need to do something.”Although she has seen the effects of cancer on people in the community, McAllister personally has not had a loved one diagnosed with the disease.When not involved with school activities, McAllister enjoys reading, especially classical literature. “Great Expectations” is her favorite novel.And McAllister works part-time as a cashier at the Arby's restaurant near the Clearview Mall in Center Township. She's hoping the job will demonstrate her work ethic to future employers.And, “spending money means freedom,” she said, noting it's nice to be able to gas up her Pontiac Sunfire.Despite the big ambitions, McAllister still has the regular stresses of a high school senior.For example, she is already searching catalog after catalog for the perfect green gown to wear to the May 6 prom.“Green is my favorite color,” she said, noting that she will be accompanied by her boyfriend.She said she's kind of proud of her class slogan, “If you ain't first, you're last,” a quote from the movie, “Talladega Nights.”“It's a good quote,” she said. “It encourages everyone to strive for perfection and be first in school work, sports, extracurricular activities... in everything.”
<B>Age: </B>17<B>Address: </B>Chicora<B>Family: </B>Mother, Colleen, and sister Ashley, 14<B>Employment: </B>Arby's restaurant, near Clearview Mall<B>Education: </B>Senior at Karns City High School<B>Interests: </B>Enjoys classical literature<B>Quote:</B> ‘I have the ability, and I know if I keep working hard I can get there. I'm passionate about my future and being a doctor.'
