Sean C. Morgan
Tyler Schilling and Caytlin Gillespie are this year’s Freshman Boy and Girl of the Year at Sweet Home High School.
Gillespie is the daughter of Gail and Chris Gillespie. She has one older sister, Shelbey, 19. Schilling is the son of Steve and Patricia Schilling. He has two siblings, Colton, 17, and Alexia, 10.
“I was really excited that I got it because I felt I deserved it,” Schilling said. “I worked hard all year to keep my grades up. I had a 4.0, and I think that was one of the biggest things.”
“I was pretty excited too,” Gillespie said, noting that she was shooting for the award too. “I ended up with a 3.93. As of now, I’m aiming to be a salutatorian.”
They both had siblings who previously earned the award – Shelbey Gillespie, who graduated in 2011, and Colton Schilling, who will be a senior at SHHS.
The award is based on grades, athletics and community service. Teachers nominate students who achieve a 3.8 GPA or better. Then the students apply.
Gillespie is involved in softball and basketball. Schilling is involved in soccer, and he wrestles during most of the year.
He is involved in the Mat Club, the youth group at Community Chapel and community service through his church. Gillespie helps her grandfather with yard work and also assists with clinics in softball and basketball for younger athletes.
After high school, Schilling is planning on pursuing a degree in either electrical engineering or mechanical engineering. He hopes to attend college at Stanford or Cal Poly.
“I like math and science,” he said. In engineering, he can discover things that most people don’t know, understanding how the components of an iPod work, for example.
Math is his favorite subject because he’s good at it, said Schilling, who takes honors classes. He especially enjoys geometry and trigonometry.
“Math’s weird, but I like it,” he said.
Gillespie plans to pursue a degree in teaching at the University of Oregon.
“I love working with kids,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in teaching.”
She enjoys history, she said. “I’ve always been very fascinated with older stuff.”
They both enjoyed their freshman year.
“I enjoyed it because the school community itself made me feel like I could do stuff,” Schilling said. “They just welcomed us in as freshmen. The teachers really push you to be the best you can be. They’ll always keep working with you.”
The school also provides great friendships in academic and sports clubs, he said.
Both said they were thankful to their parents, who pushed them to be successful academically and have supported them in other ways.
“They’ve always told me to do my best in school, keep up my grades,” Gillespie said.