Alyssa Wild and Kate Wieters are used to being right next to each other.
After all, in the years they have gone to school together – which is since kindergarten – any time the names of the students in their class have been put in alphabetical order, their names have been one after the other.
On Friday, June 3, it will happen again.
Commencement exercises for Weyauwega-Fremont High School’s class of 2011 will be held at 7 p.m. that day in the high school gym.
Wild is the valedictorian of the class, and Wieters is the salutatorian.
They will address their class, with high school science teacher Mike Hansen also speaking, having been chosen to do so by this year’s senior class.
The ceremony will also include performances by the high school’s band and choir. School board members will hand out the diplomas.
Next fall, Wild will be a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she plans to study journalism, with a track in strategic communication.
“I don’t like math, science or medical,” she said. “I’ve always liked English, literature, communciations, and I don’t mind public speaking. I’m thinking public relations.”
She is considering a minor in Spanish.
Wild is the daughter of Todd and Lori Wild and is looking forward to being a “Badger.”
She chose Madison because she wanted to go to college in Wisconsin and, upon touring the campus, loved it there.
She has always lived in a small town and will graduate from a class of about 100. Wild likes the idea of going to a larger school and being able to meet new people.
During her four years at W-F High School, Wild was a class officer and member of Student Council, FFA, Spanish Club and the National Honor Society (NHS). She played volleyball four years, softball two years and this year, was on the track team.
She is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and also loves music. She plays the oboe and was part of the wind ensemble the past two years at Lawrence University in Appleton.
In addition to school and her extracurricular activities, Wild has waitressed the past two years and will be working this summer at Jellystone Park Campground in Fremont.
She learned many life lessons during her high school career.
“The one thing I’ve learned is to be yourself and not to worry about fitting in,” Wild said. High school also taught her about responsibility, time management and independence.
Wieters said she learned to be resourceful and credits Adrienne Rice, her AP English teacher, for particularly helping her get ready for college.
“She was big for encouraging,” she said.
Wieters is the daughter of Rich and Julie Wieters and will be heading to Winona State University, in Winona, Minn., at the end of summer.
She will major in elementary education, with an emphasis in early childhood, and plans to minor in coaching.
“I have worked with kids my whole life,” Wieters said. “My mom used to run a daycare at home.”
Wieters helped her mom and, for the past four years, has alwo worked at Trinity Lutheran Church’s nursery.
“I always knew that I wanted to do something with kids,” she said.
Since she is family oriented, she expected to go to a college that was close to home but after visiting Winona State University, decided to go there.
During high school, Wieters played the clarinet in band and was a member of NHS and Spanish Club. She played volleyball and softball four years and basketball two years.
She works at the front desk at Comfort Suites in Waupaca.
Wieters and Wild liked growing up in a small town and are ready to take the next step in their education careers.