Scholar of the Week: February 23

Courtesy Photo: Kailee Potter

Rachel Decker
The Paw Print

During her time at Adams State, Scholar of the Week Kailee Potter has made quite a name for herself. With an impressive overall GPA of 3.64, and her passion for chemistry, this senior is on the fast track for an impressive future after college.
Kailee came to Adams State to work towards achieving her BS in Chemistry, and is planning to graduate in the spring of 2013. She has been awarded the Kay Watkins Academic Scholarship for Chemistry, and was selected as a Porter Scholar in Science and Mathematics. Currently, Kailee is a teacher’s aide for a chemistry program, and an active volunteer with the EARTH sustainability group here on campus. Kailee is also an active member of the Adams Atoms Chemistry Club, and has even danced with the Adams State Salsa Dance group.
In the spring of 2010, Kailee also achieved the prominent award of being on the Vice President’s honor roll. Students must have earned at least a 3.5 GPA average and had at least 12 credit hours in order to qualify, both of which Kailee had.
Not only is Kailee meeting the requirements to achieve her BS, she has taken more courses than are required for her degree. Some of those courses include advanced organic chemistry, chemistry of sustainability, and she is currently taking advanced forensic chemistry.
Dr. Marty Jones, the professor that nominated Kailee, said that she stands out because she goes above and beyond what is expected of her.
“One thing that impresses me about Kailee is her desire to learn and understand material, not just memorize reactions, equations, and formulas for tests,” said Dr. Jones.
Kailee has enjoyed attending Adams State, and is planning on pursuing a graduate program here, most likely in chemistry. Kailee did not plan on becoming a Chemistry major when she first attended Adams State. She had been planning on being an English major. However, thanks to the positive influence of Dr. Jones, she took the General Chemistry course, and learned that she really liked it.
“I stuck with it and as a result I have taken courses I never through I be able to, much less thoroughly enjoy,” Kailee says. “To me that’s my biggest accomplishment, choosing a difficult course of study, embracing it, and learning how to be a better person though these challenges.”
The road to graduation has not been an easy one, but Kailee has pushed through and proved that anything is possible, as long as you stay focused and keep trying. Over the years, Kailee has made her college career a successful one.
“I think to be successful, a student has to make themself successful. I have done this by truly applying myself to learning all I can at college. This applies not just to schoolwork, but all of the experiences and life lessons you gain from living on your own. I also highly enjoy what I study, and when it’s not all piled on me at once, I get excited learning about our world.”
After college, Kailee is looking towards summer internships to help her career get started. Her ideal plan after college is to “work with one of these summer research programs and then take the winter off to catch up on all the snowboarding I have missed since starting school here at Adams.”
This hard-working senior also has some tips for other students hoping to be just as successful as she was.
“Participating in any type of club is a good way to meet people with similar interests. Really, in order to succeed, you need to want to,” Kailee advises. “Hold a positive attitude towards what you are studying and try to see the long-term benefits of what you are learning today. Also, drinking coffee helps.”