WORTH TWP — Rachael Richter, senior class president at Slippery Rock High School, defies the image of the indolent, insolent teenager.

“I really like getting involved in the school,” Richter said. “I actually wanted to get involved more.”

A 4.0 student, she is a member of the principal's advisory committee, which is a group that meets three times a year to discuss problems at the school.

“We like to keep the school tied together to the community,” Richter said. “It's like we're saying: ‘Hey, there's problems in our school. We're trying to fix them.'”

She also is the editor in chief at the school's yearbook. She considers working to put the yearbook together one of her biggest accomplishments.

“I've done a lot of it independently,” Richter said, a task she considered stressful.

And she is the treasurer of the student council.

She ran for class president after a few people in her class mentioned it.

“I wanted to make sure we got everything done to make it a great year,” Richter said.

Some of the things she has done as class president include setting up the senior class trip at Cedar Point and raising money for the senior dinner dance.

Although she is a leader to her class, she still looks to her teachers for guidance.

“I go to my teachers for a lot of help, especially if the guidance office is busy,” Richter said.

When the bell rings at the end of the day, Richter gets ready for track and field practice.

“After school, it's a nice workout,” Richter said. This is her sixth year of running, third on the varsity team.

“I really like competition. It's a lot of hard work, I would put it,” she said.

After she graduates, she plans on attending either the University of Pittsburgh or Duquesne University for pharmacy.

She decided she wanted to be a pharmacy major during her junior year, after her physics teacher suggested it.

“I was always interested in science,” Richter said. “Going to colleges ... it reinforces my choice.”

Richter is interested in researching the origins of medicines as well as herbal and natural medicines. But, she is keeping her options open.

“I'd rather do hospital pharmacy if I had to choose, than commercial pharmacy,” Richter said.

She is leaning toward going to Duquesne.

“I really think their program benefits me best,” Richter said. “But, I'm visiting Pitt, so we'll see.”

If she chooses Duquesne, she said she will probably try to join its track team. If she goes to Pitt, she said she will seek out the intramural track program.

“It just depends on the school load,” Richter said.

In her spare time, she likes to be with her family.

Every Sunday, she goes to see her grandparents, who live near Pymatuning State Park.

“I get up there as much as I can,” Richter said. “I love seeing my family.”

She also enjoys snowboarding, but she originally was a skier. “I think I started skiing in the backyard,” Richter said.

She switched to snowboarding when she was in eighth grade and she still does it. But she added, “Coach isn't too excited about that.”

Despite this, she said she has probably gotten worse injuries running than snowboarding.

During the summer, she works at the Crescent Bay Marina in Moraine State Park, which she considers an extension of her passion for the outdoors.

“At work, it's pretty much an outdoor activity,” Richter said.

And, of course, living a couple miles from the park helps.

“I like the lake,” Richter said. “It's so easy to get to. So I try to get out as much as possible.”

Although she has a busy schedule, she tries to stay focused.

“I do have some stressful days,” Richter said. “I think I'm getting pretty good at managing my time.”

<B>Age:</B> 17<B>Address:</B> Worth Township<B>Family: </B>Parents, Robert and Cindy; sister, Brittney<B>Education: </B>Senior at Slippery Rock High School<B>Interests:</B> Outdoors activities, spending time with family and friends<B>Quote:</B> “I always make time to spend with my family or be with friends.”