Michael Davis was chosen as the Rotary Student of the Month for April 2024. Davis was nominated by Ms. Jaci Hansey.
Here is what she had to say: Mikey really works hard to show up at our events to volunteer but he also shows up at community events throughout the summer when he sees they need volunteers outside of what is required for his NHS hours. (I have seen him sporting a Rivertown Days volunteer shirt.) Our adults with disabilities program coordinator, Laurie Thrush, is the person who gave me the idea that he should be nominated. Mikey is so patient and kind with the participants in her program. He just really stands out to us, and we have enjoyed getting to know him over the past two years and watching him grow as a person.
During his presentation at the Rotary meeting, Davis was engaging, funny and witty making it very easy to see why he was nominated. Davis, who previously lived in Texas came to Hastings in the middle of his high school career which meant he had to rebuild his circle of friends from scratch.
“I had to essentially start from scratch, from a move that was very last minute. So last minute in fact that my room was essentially boxes when I took my AP World History exam (and the score very much showed that, I still passed), and the house we had to stay in for the first six months was utterly destroyed by our relatives before we even got there. If one more thing had gone wrong, I would not be here. I am very much lucky that the people here were willing to help me get back into the groove, to be where I am, and I am very much grateful for them. It was sheer luck that I got here,” he explained.
One thing that really helped him throughout was National Honor Society.
“I grew up as someone who wanted to help as much as I can. I’ve always wondered that throughout my formative years. I remember, as a little 2nd-grader, I would try to assist in any technical issues the teacher was having at the time. Whether it be that the computer wouldn’t turn on or if the projector won't display anything, I was usually there to try and assist. When I got into middle school, I joined the middle school equivalent of the NHS, mainly out of curiosity. That was where I developed my enjoyment for volunteering, as I would help out of the San Antonio Food Bank with their sorting right up until COVID hit. And of course, I continued on with NHS and here we are, sitting here in god-knows-where Minnesota, speaking about my service,” added Davis.
Davis plans to attend the University of Minnesota.
“Right now, I am planning on studying at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, for mathematics, both applied and pure. Initially, I had set my sights on schools like MIT and UChicago, but after some tribulations and totally not rejections,” he laughed. “I thought that the U was a very good mix of the rigor I wanted out of a college, but also the nature and location, being close enough to home to stop by every now and then.”
