Oakdale Patch Whiz Kid: Nicole Horwath

Oakdale Patch Whiz Kid of the Week: Nicole Horwath, 12th Grade

School:

Accomplishment: Horwath was elected to a position as a state officer in SkillsUSA, an extracurricular program focusing on career preparation.

Key to Awesomeness: This might make her unique among fellow teenagers, but Tartan senior Nicole Horwath likes rules. She likes them so much, in fact, that she’s hoping her role on the state’s SkillsUSA board is that of parliamentarian. Horwath was elected to a position on the board after planning and executing a campaign complete with manager and motto—Shine like Gold.

Her penchant for order is also part of why she is using her SkillsUSA experience to explore a career as a correctional or probation officer, she said, but it’s not the only reason.

“I like to be around people,” she said, “and I want to help them, if I can, get them transitioned into society again as they leave.”

Horwath is trying out law enforcement through the Police Explorers program—something she said she wouldn’t have known existed if not for SkillsUSA.

It was important to her to explore careers before going to college, she said, to avoid wasting money on schooling.

“I will eventually start job shadowing at a county jail or state prison to really get a feel for what it will be like,” she said.

In addition to the Police Explorers and SkillsUSA, Horwath is also part of the group that organizes Relay for Life, and she holds down two part-time jobs.

She hopes to attend the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.