Casey Berger of Naples has been selected as the area Lions Clubs’ “Student of the Month” for February.

Each month, area Lions Clubs recognize a Lake Region High School senior who has excelled academically. The recipient is presented a monetary award.

Name: Casey Berger

Class of: 2021

Residence: Naples

Parents: Kurt and Amy Berger

Activities: Soccer, skiing and track

Community activities: Camp Agawam Volunteer Counselor, Shawnee Peak Ski Instructor, and Naples Recreation Summer Counselor

Hobbies: Politics, soccer and backcountry skiing

Future Plans: After graduating college, I hope to use my political science degree to represent my future communities at a local, state or national level. I want to become someone who fights for those around me and better the experiences for the common person. 

Schools that you have or will apply: University of Utah, Westminster College Utah, University of Maine Farmington, Clark University, Regis University and Weber State.

Schools that you have been accepted to: University of Utah, Westminster College Utah, University of Maine Farmington, Regis University and Weber State.

Q. What is your favorite class? Throughout high school, my favorite class was probably AP Government and Politics, as it allowed me to expand my knowledge of United States politics and its political systems. It helped me find one of my passions and now has helped me decide what I want to go to college for.

Q. What is your toughest class? Without a doubt Calculus, it’s the highest-level math course at LRHS so it’s bound to be hard. Even with a good background in math, I still struggle with it; the concepts sometimes, even with hours of explanations and videos, still don’t make sense.

Q. How do you balance your class work and your extracurricular activities?  It’s all about balance. As much as I love sports, sometimes I need to sacrifice a practice just to make sure I’m caught up and my coaches have always been flexible when it comes to school.

Q. What is the biggest challenge high school students face today? Right now, I would say it’s a mix between isolation and burnout. With the pandemic looking like it will never end, who knows when life will be back to “normal.” I’ve seen myself and my friends go to some dark places over the past year all because of how impersonal life has become. I’ve been able to manage over this time by still keeping in touch with friends and family and cherished the few face-to-face interactions I’ve had.

Q. Who has inspired you educationally, and why? I would say Bernie Sanders has inspired me educationally the most. Since the 2015 Democratic Primaries, I became aware of him and politics as a whole. Through this, I began to develop my own political views and beliefs. It wasn’t until the beginning of the pandemic that I truly began to delve into politics with Sanders being one of my starting points. He and other similar politicians have helped me decide that I want a future in politics.