Rachael Phelps

Let’s give a warm “Spotlight on Seniors” welcome to Rachael Phelps – Pewaukee High School

Please tell us a little bit about your family.

My mom works at Lang, the calendar company, and my dad is a machinist at Zeman Tools. I have an older sister who goes to Wisconsin Lutheran College, majoring in Bio Chemistry with a minor in music. Our family goes to church at Faith Lutheran in Sussex. We have three cats – Hezekiah, Nekoda and Meshach. My mom, sister and I go on a lot of “adventures” – mostly including coffee or ice cream!

What are your interests and hobbies?

I love music! I am currently in four choirs – treble, varsity and Madigral at school, and I am part of my church choir. Some of my hobbies are playing piano, singing, writing songs, creative writing, and drawing. I also love bike riding, walking and dancing. I am very interested in and I want to work with kids who have special needs and help them with the things they may struggle with.

Tell us about one of your favorite classes in school.

It’s a tie between Varsity Choir and my Insight Class/Serving Others. Through the Insight class, I love helping other people and trying to make a difference in our community with the things we do, including our holiday gnomes! I like Varsity Choir because we get the challenge of doing advanced choir pieces. Getting through the entire piece with very minor issues is a challenge and a great feeling of accomplishment.

What’s your least favorite?

I am ok with all of my classes, but if I had to choose, I would say Classic Literature.

Do you have a favorite memory from the school year?

At the high school we started a “Live at Lunch” program. Because not many people signed up, there was a chance it would be cancelled. I decided to go outside my comfort zone and sign up for it. I loved performing in front of others, and loved to see how they reacted to my performance.

What’s something you worked hard on this past year, a moment or an achievement you’re particularly proud of?

I am proud of my preparation and performance at Solo & Ensemble this year. I didn’t make it to the state level this year, but that’s ok!

What has surprised you most about school this past year?

I try to always do my best and have a joyful attitude in everything. I didn’t expect to be recognized for it! My Insight teacher, Mrs. Simino, awarded me the Medal of Awesome because of my kindness and positive energy. She also recognized my perseverance and hard work on a daily basis – that was a great surprise!

What are you looking forward to in the upcoming year?

I start college at WCTC next year, and I’m excited to meet new people. I’ve had some experience working in the WCTC daycare program and will be working with them again. I’m so excited to get to know more about Childhood Development!

What are some of your goals (academic, sports, personal)?

My biggest goal right now is to get my Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. After that, my goal is to become a paraprofessional, especially in the Pewaukee community!

What is something you are good at and/or enjoy doing?

I really enjoy making music and publishing it in hopes I can help someone else with my songs. I also enjoy teaching other people simple ways for remembering things – I’ve found I’m pretty good at it!

Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?

I see myself as a paraprofessional, working in an early childhood daycare or as a nanny. I love working with kids, so I can see myself working in any profession dealing with them.

Explain a time you wanted to give up but didn’t?

The time I remember the most was when I was in sixth grade. I had an IEP and was going through brain training at Learning Rx. To add to that stress, the doctor had found a bump in my neck – that involved many doctor’s appointments and ultimately, surgery. I also found out my biological mother was diagnosed with cancer again. I had no confidence in myself and I wanted to give up because it was much easier! However, I had a good support team who encouraged me to keep going – and I did. By the end of the year my grades started improving, I started raising my hand in class and eventually graduated out of my IEP. I hadn’t given up! If I had, I think I would still have a negative outlook, felt pretty lousy about myself and wouldn’t know what to do in my life.

What are your favorite memories?

The first memory that pops up is during the time I was at Learning Rx. In order to graduate the program, you had to say the Presidents in order forward AND backward in less than 40 seconds. I was finally successful and the sense of accomplishment – as well as everybody’s cheers! – made it so memorable. And no, I can’t do it now without a refresher! Another memory was when I graduated from Learning Rx. My trainer, Jeff, wrote a letter describing what we went through and his impressions of me. It was the best letter – I still read it often!

Is there someone special who you admire?

My mom because she is the one who made sure that I got the help I needed for school. She is the one who gave me the concept and phrase “it’s just a challenge!”

If you could do anything, what would it be?

I would like to be able to do anything I could to help other people!

What do you love about Lake Country area?

I really like going to downtown Pewaukee and getting a good cup of coffee from Brewers Two. I have a lot of memories in the area, and I love to support the local businesses.

Tell us one piece of wisdom you’ve learned so far.

To not give up! If something is hard, so what? It’s just a challenge! Make some goals to accomplish the task and you’ll be successful in no time!

Do you have an unwritten rule at your school that everyone follows?

We don’t really talk about politics and try to not judge someone for their religious beliefs.

What advice would you give to an incoming student?

It’s not as scary as everyone makes it out to be. It can be a difficult transition but you can ask teachers questions and even most students are willing to help.

Have you won any awards/scholarships?

I just received the first Pewaukee Scholarship from the Lake Country Optimist’s Club, and I am honored that I will be joining this group. The club is dedicated to the youth of the community, which is totally my passion!