Grand County High School’s Students of the Month for April 2015 are Lauren Drake and Cody Jones. Both are juniors.
Drake is the daughter of Christopher and Claudia Drake. Her favorite classes are jewelry with Mrs. Christa Green and Honors English with Ms. Donna Metzler.
“They are both amazing teachers and fun classes, because I get to use my imagination and voice my opinions for my assignments,” Drake said.
Drake said her most challenging class is probably math. “I tend to take a long time to study and catch onto a subject, but with the help of Ms. Allison Brown and Mrs. Bryce Rogers, I’m starting to really enjoy and understand math better,” she said.
Drake has been actively involved in GCHS sports and activities, including cross-country running for two years and track for three years. She also has played basketball for three years with the Lady Devils. In addition, she plays clarinet in the GCHS band and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Outside of school, Drake has helped with the annual Canyonlands Half Marathon as a volunteer for three years. She also helps her church congregation with Sunday school and has been a leader/ teacher at Vacation Bible School. She has been employed at the Moab Yogurt Shop (MoYo) and as a hostess/ busser at the Jailhouse Cafe.
Drake said she plans to attend the University of Utah and become an elementary school teacher.
“I love to teach, and can’t wait to have a classroom of my own someday,” she said.
Jones is the son of Jill and Justin Jones. His favorite classes are science classes, “because I find it fascinating to learn how the world around me works.”
Jones cites art as his most challenging class, stating flatly, “I possess no innate artistic talent.”
Jones has been involved in a variety of activities at GCHS, including cross-country, mountain biking, tennis, Science Olympiad, Quiz Bowl, National Honor Society, band, choir, fall musicals and FFA.
“I have won numerous medals in Science Olympiad events, including a state-level silver in the Cell Biology event earlier this month,” he said.
Outside of school, Jones is a member of both the LDS seminary youth council and the Moab LDS stake youth council. He also volunteers as a merit badge counselor at Blue Mountain Boy Scout Camp each summer.
He has delivered newspapers for the Moab Ad-Vertiser for four years and has also worked in the GCHS lunchroom as a food server this year. In addition, Jones also recently completed an internship with Dr. Len Sorensen at the Moab Veterinary Clinic, working as an animal caretaker.
Jones’ post-high school plans include serving a two-year mission for the LDS Church, after which he plans to enroll in a university and pursue a degree in biology.
“I would like to continue on to gain a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree,” he said, adding, “Plus, I’d like to get married and start a family of my own.”
The local Elks Lodge sponsors the GCHS Student of the Month program under the direction of Frank Vaccaro. The Elks started the program to recognize students who are outstanding in the areas of character, leadership, service, citizenship and scholastic performance. The Rotary Club and the Grand County School District Board of Education also recognize the students. Jeff Richards is the high school coordinator.
