Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, March 21, 2024. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.
By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy
The Spring Valley Kiwanis Club has honored Ryley Guy as a Kiwanis Academic Award recipient. She is the daughter of Lyman and Jill Guy of rural Spring Valley.
The Kingsland senior is active in numerous extracurricular activities. “I am involved in basketball, golf, Student Council, FFA, National Honor Society (NHS), and I am the senior class secretary. Of these activities, I would have to say that FFA is my favorite because the activities are really fun, and I enjoy doing them with my friends. In the past, I have participated in most of the clubs listed above, as well as Key Club, softball and volleyball. My favorite subject would have to be history or sociology, and my least favorite is definitely math.”
The 18-year-old keeps busy with work and friends after school. “Outside of school, I am not really involved in anything besides volunteer things for school clubs. I work at the Rochester Golf & Country Club, and the thing I like most about it is the fact that I get to be outside during my shifts. In my spare time, I like to go golfing, skiing, shopping, and I like to hang out with my friends. My favorite movie is “Grown Ups,’ and my favorite books are definitely the ‘Harry Potter’ series. I listen to all different kinds of music, but my favorite genre is rap, and my favorite music artists are 21 Savage and the Weekend.” She added, “I could live off of any sort of Mexican food for the rest of my life. A food that is really gross to me would be shrimp. My biggest pet peeve is acrylic nails that are long and square. One really bad habit I have is twirling my hair, and a bad hobby I have is going to Crumbl Cookie almost every week.” Finally, she noted, “If I could travel to any country in the world, I would go to Italy so that I could visit the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain. If I could travel to any state, I would go to Hawaii because it is beautiful, and I would like to visit the Volcanoes National Park.”
Ryley related, “The three people I admire most are my mom, dad, and my older sister Morgan. I admire my parents because they work very hard to provide for my siblings and I, and they always take time to do fun stuff with us. I also admire them because they are very motivating when it comes to passions and dreams, and they always encourage me to do my best, so I hope that I am like them someday. I admire my sister Morgan because she is really smart and outgoing, and she encourages me to look for opportunities outside of my comfort zone.” If she could do one thing to change the world, she’d “make college free because it is so expensive.”
Her plans after graduating aren’t quite settled, but she knows that she wants to make a mark on the corporate world. “I’m not entirely sure of what I want to become after I graduate, but as of now, I’m hoping that I will become a corporate business law counselor or manage a large business corporation. When I was a little kid, I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon because I was obsessed with Grey’s Anatomy.”
The Kiwanis recognized Ryley and her parents during the March 13 noon luncheon meeting. The Kiwanis meet at the Spring Valley Community Center each Wednesday and welcome individuals who would like to become members.
Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325
