Catholic Central’s Krien garners trifecta of academic achievements
By Jason Arndt
Editor
Catholic Central High School senior Krista Krien admits she does not have much free time, but wouldn’t have it any other way, which has been a key component to her recent academic accolades.
Those include National Merit Scholarship Finalist, earning a Herb Kohl Excellence Scholarship and the recent announcement that she will become the valedictorian of her senior class.
Krien, of Waterford, has also been involved in extracurricular activities, including serving as Student Council president, Model United Nations president, board member of Key Club and a member of the National Honors Society.
Additionally, she is the captain of the Hilltoppers’ dance team, played varsity volleyball and was a manager of the boys varsity basketball team.
Krien’s involvement, she said, brings up a common question.
“People often ask me if my parents put pressure on me or anything,” she said. “They don’t. They are very supportive and very involved in everything I do.”
Krien, daughter of Tom and Jeanne, remembered when her parents suggested she find a healthy balance last year.
“If anything, they actually have to limit me sometimes because I just put too much on my plate,” she said, adding her parents urged her to take a study hall as a junior.
With Merit
As a junior, Krien was among 1.6 million students nationally to enter the 2019 National Merit Scholarship program by taking the 2017 preliminary SAT.
The PSAT, Krien said, came the week she came down with an illness, but she overcame the obstacle.
“When I went to take the PSAT my junior year, I had to miss school the rest of that week, because I had pneumonia and I was just so sick and had a 102 degree fever,” she said.
“I was still sick when I went in that day and told myself that I was taking this test no matter what. It was just crazy and I did so well on it,” she said.
Afterwards, Krien advanced to a pool of 16,000 semifinalists last September.
Krien was notified in February she became one of about 15,000 finalists.
On March 6, Krien was awarded the Herb Kohl Excellence Scholarship.
The $10,000 scholarship is issued to 188 seniors statewide.
Along with her parents, Krien is the sister of Jana, 22, Cara, 16 and Evan, 14.
When Krien is not in the classroom, or participating in extra-curricular activities, she volunteers on mission trips with her church youth group.
“I usually don’t have a lot of free time, but I wouldn’t want it any other way,” she said.
“It has always been my personality, I have always wanted the extra project, the extra work. Even in grade school, I asked for extra homework. Who does that?”
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