Kelsey Hansen – Distinguished Student

There’s a senior at Salmon High School that carries a solid 4.0 GPA , and has lettered for years in volleyball, track, and basketball.

The first you notice about Kelsey Hansen is, she’s beautiful. The second thing you notice: she’s tall!

“How tall are you?” asks Karole Honas. Kelsey replies, “6′ 1″.”

Kelsey uses that height to her advantage. She’s an outstanding ball player, and in Salmon you have to really want to be involved in sports, because every out of town game means a long, long bus ride.

“You get used to it,” says Kelsey. “It’s something we’ve adjusted to since junior high school. You do tons of team bonding. I don’t think people realize that. It’s a benefit to your team. You get used to it when you’re three hours away from anywhere. “

When Kelsey isn’t at a practice or a game, she’s studying. She takes classes like AP English, Chemistry, and Physics. When she’s not studying, she’s a volunteer.

“I’m highly involved in teaching kids in the community how to play basketball. I volunteer at the animal shelter. That’s always lots of fun,” says Kelsey.

Kelsey will take her love of animals to college, where she plans to study biology and zoology.

“I want to be involved with animals and rehabilitating and raising and caring for animals,” she says passionately.

Tall, beautiful, smart. What a winning combination. She’s this week’s Distinguished Student and recognized by the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.