Sean C. Morgan
Seniors Matt Davis and Sierra Swanson have been named Junior First Citizens at Sweet Home High School.
“I have had Matt and Sierra in classes,” said leadership adviser Tomas Rosa. “They’re great students and great kids.”
Davis said it was “pretty cool” to be chosen. He feels like it had to be a hard decision for the selection committee. The other male applicant was a very good candidate.
“It’s a good opportunity to get involved,” Davis said. “Going on to a bigger one is really cool because I’ll see other people who are involved (in their communities and schools) too.”
Davis is very involved in school, Swanson said. He’s been in leadership every year of high school.
“He’s a good guy. He’s dedicated, and he’s hard-working.”
It shows in the off season as he practices for track, Swanson said. “I know he’s pushed himself in academics. He takes classes that are challenging.”
In leadership, Davis is involved in a lot of community service, Rosa said, especially through Community 101, a program started last year where high school students help local organizations with writing grants.
He gets a lot done, Rosa said.
“He’s just a selfless kid. Matt’s obviously a great choice for our school.”
Swanson said she felt “honored” to be chosen.
“It’s cool to be a representative of Sweet Home.”
She complimented the other two candidates.
“I think we all had very good qualities about us,” Swanson said. “We’re all involved in similar things. I think we equally had strong qualities. Their interviews went really well too. It was probably a really tough pick.”
Davis said Swanson “was a perfect candidate for this. I love Sierra.”
The competition was even tougher for the girls, he said.
“But Sierra is a very good candidate. She’s all around a good person, and she’s very trustworthy. She doesn’t give up. She’ll try her hardest.”
Swanson is active in sports and choir, captain of her track and cross country team and section leader in her choir, Rosa said. “She donates a ton of time to doing the student newspaper.”
That’s a thankless job, often like leadership, Rosa said, and that says something about these two.
High school students are typically worried about themselves, but these two “do things that make this school run smoothly.”
The two students will go on to a countywide competition for Linn County first citizen, and they will ride in the annual Veterans Day Parade in Albany.
Matt Davis
Davis, 18, is the son of Kurt and Deana Davis. He carries a 3.86 GPA.
He plans to attend Linn-Benton Community College then transfer to Oregon State University in fall 2017 to major in physical therapy.
He plans to pursue a career in physical therapy and sports medicine.
“I think that if I can no longer participate in sports later in life, I still want to be around them in some way, and physical therapy is one way to do that,” Davis said during the selection process.
“My major plan is to some day, hopefully, work as a physical therapist for a sports team or hopefully be a member of the Olympics, helping the Olympians heal and improve their bodies. I love helping people, so I believe that this job will be a great way to do so. If I cannot reach that high, I would also love to work in a school setting helping athletes with their injuries.”
Davis said he is responsible, goal-oriented and hard-working.
“Since my mom is deaf, I have learned to be very patient with people that have disabilities,” Davis said. “Just because it is harder to communicate with someone doesn’t mean that they aren’t worth your time or have important ideas or things to say.
“I always try to make friends and be friendly with people wherever I go because friendships are relationships that can last a lifetime, and if you make the right ones, they can help you through life.”
Davis has served on the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior class boards. He is a member of the National Honor Society. He has participated in student leadership all four years of high school, and he has been involved in Sweet Home Emergency Ministries and Community 101.
He is a member of Community Chapel and attends the high school youth group there. Once a month he helps in the children’s ministries and has just started teaching.
He has played soccer since elementary school and track and field since the sixth grade. He is in charge of community service and team building for his leadership class.
He has been on the honor roll since 2012 and is an ESPY award winner. He is an Academic All-American. He has lettered in soccer and track three times so far. He was third-team all-league in track last season. He was a Rotary International District 5110 Scholar of 2014.
He has one sister, Sabrina Davis, 21.
Sierra Swanson
Swanson, 16, is the daughter of Scott and Miriam Swanson. She carries a 3.86 GPA.
She plans to attend the University of Oregon as an English major. She would like to become a teacher.
“My desire, at this point of time, is to become a teacher, and I would like to broaden my perspective of the world by traveling. As part of these traveling plans, I intend on becoming a part of a missions trip to help third-world countries as part of a humanitarian effort. Some day, I would like to teach English in a public school or in a foreign country.”
“I am also driven in life to accomplish the best that I can do and to impact the world around me for a better society. I persevere to finish tasks that are challenging to me.
“Though some tasks may seem daunting, I have a true sense of optimism that not all people possess. I am not caught up in the negatives of a situation, but rather see drawbacks as part of a bigger picture.”
Swanson was student body secretary at SHHS in 2013-14. She was a member of the junior class board and is a member of the senior class board and National Honor Society. She was part of the leadership class her sophomore year.
Shen has been involved in the Sweet Home Active Revitalization Effort, Sweet Home Emergency Ministries, Crystal Peaks Rehabilitation Youth Ranch and a youth representative with the Sweet Home Beautification Committee.
She attends Elm Street Baptist Church and participates in the ESBC Bible Study, Community Chapel Youth Group, Cornerstone Fellowship Youth Group and nursery.
She is team captain in cross country and track and main editor for The Huskian high school newspaper. She is a member of the Symphonic Choir and has been Alto I section leader.
She has been on the honor roll from 2012 to the present. She was AP History Student of the year and an Academic All-American. Other awards included desktop publishing Student of the Year, Rotary International District 5110 Scholar of 2014, American Legion School Award Honorable Mention. She lettered in Symphonic Choir, three times in cross country and three times in track.
She enjoys reading, writing poetry, painting and traveling.
She has two sisters, Carissa Swanson, 22, and Kimber (Swanson) Parker, 21.