Being an excellent student often requires juggling a number of challenges and responsibilities. For Warrenton High School senior Allison Duncan, that means managing the course work from several college-level classes while putting in time as an officer in two student organizations and also fitting in sports and extracurricular activities.

Duncan was named vice president of the school’s National Honor Society chapter this year, and has been an officer of the Warrenton FFA club for three years. In both roles, she helps organize activities and public service opportunities for members.

During the school day, Duncan is enrolled in a wide range of classes to explore a diverse set of academic and creative interests. The most advanced of those are college-level psychology and Spanish courses that Duncan is taking online through Missouri Southern State University, as well as college algebra taught at the high school.

The rest of Duncan’s school day is filled with classes in greenhouse management, a cappella singing, theater stagecraft, and a literature class focused on mystery and detective literature. After school this semester, she was in the ensemble for the theater program’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” that showed last weekend.

Q: Why did you want to get involved in leadership roles?
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to further my public speaking abilities, and it will help me build those leadership skills that I know I’ll need in my future.”

Q: What’s your favorite part of these roles?
“With the service hours, we try to help people as much as we can.”

Q: How have you learned or improved from having those leadership roles?
“Being involved in so many different things, it’s definitely helped with my organizational skills. I have to juggle all of these activities that I have and make sure I’m doing them on time.
“With the leadership roles, I know I have to be a role model for the younger students and make sure I am doing the best I can do within those programs.”

Q: What class do you find most challenging?
“Definitely college algebra. ... You have to put in so much time and make sure you know your stuff. You have to remember lessons and notes from past math classes, and you have to be able to learn the new stuff really quick.”

Q: How do you make sure you’re not falling behind in that class?
“If I’m finished with (other classes), I’ll usually use that time to look over notes before a quiz or a test, and do a lot of optional homework questions to try to help myself understand. Then if I don’t understand one of the questions, I try to ask the teacher ... to get a better understanding.”

Q: What are your plans after high school?
“After I graduate, I want to go to college to become an RN ... and eventually get my bachelor’s degree in nursing.”

Favorite food: “I like a lot of different food.”
Favorite movie: “Anything Disney.”
Favorite show: “Mostly stuff on Netflix.”
Favorite music: Christian or country
Favorite destination: Montana