OC-ADCAT Student of the Month Hilkemeyer wants a life of memories

By Neal A. Johnson
Posted 3/24/21

A life filled with memories has helped steer Fatima senior Libby Hilkemeyer to a drug-free lifestyle and she wants that to continue. This mentality and her pursuit of excellence led to her selection …

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OC-ADCAT Student of the Month Hilkemeyer wants a life of memories

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A life filled with memories has helped steer Fatima senior Libby Hilkemeyer to a drug-free lifestyle and she wants that to continue. This mentality and her pursuit of excellence led to her selection as the Osage County Anti-Drug Community Action Team (OC-ADCAT) Student of the Month.
“Libby is a wonderful student and leader,” said English teacher Crystal Miller, who nominated Hilkemeyer for the award. “She always maintains excellent communication skills with other students, including friends, and teachers. She is professional in all settings and tries her hardest at everything she does. I know she makes a positive impact both in and out of school.”
Hilkemeyer said she was a little shocked because she knows many other students who would be a perfect fit for this award.
When she was younger, Hilkemeyer said her parents, Butch and Kathy, would refrain from drinking until Libby and her siblings, Ben and Danny, were older, to provide a good influence.
“I believe that really helped shape my mindset,” she said, noting it’s important for her to maintain that mindset moving forward. “I prefer to be drug-free because I want to remember everything that happens in my life. I hear so many stories about people getting drunk at parties and not remembering what happened and I told myself that I never want that to happen to me.”
Hilkemeyer acknowledges there is peer pressure to drink in high schools. “Luckily, kids here at Fatima respect the decision of being sober until the appropriate age,” she added.
While she is capable of voicing her opinions, Hilkemeyer said she doesn’t normally have to do so when it comes to avoiding drugs and alcohol.
“My actions talk for me,” she said. “The summer before sophomore year, I got a job at Towne Club and I have worked there every Friday and Saturday since. While everyone in my class, and lower grades even, are out partying, I’m in a kitchen, putting meals together.”
At school, she is very focused. “Libby is an excellent student,” said Miller. “She excels at every class and puts her entire self forward in every single class, including her five dual-credit courses this year. Libby will do wonderful things with her future given how much effort she applies in her high school courses. She is my teacher's aide for my seventh-graders, and she excels at helping me keep them together. She even helps them with assignments when they have questions. Libby does not shy away from any one of her responsibilities.”
Hilkemeyer was a cheerleader for three years but decided to stop this year to focus on school.
“Libby is a wonderful leader,” said Miller. “As I coached her in cheer last year, she was amazing at keeping the other cheerleaders in line and on-task, as well as accepting a co-captain spot on the team and thriving. Libby does not shy away from difficult conversations and enters them head-on with positive intentions and positive outcomes. She is also a leader outside of school events. Libby is a huge cheerleader for many high school sports, even going to Springfield to support boys' soccer this season. She takes it upon herself to lead other classmates to support our sports and clubs.”
“I try to be a good influence on others, so sometimes I believe I am a leader,” added Hilkemeyer, who has been a SADD member for many years but this year, served as the events coordinator.
Hilkemeyer is a member of FBLA and has participated in almost every fall supper, spring dinner, and picnic for the Holy Family Parish since sixth grade.
Choosing the right friends has been important as well. “I think I have a very good friend group,” Hilkemeyer said. “They have the same beliefs as me and we have fun together at home rather than going out.”
She plans to attend the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg to major in Criminology/Criminal Justice and hopes to get a position in a Human-Trafficking Division.
Hilkemeyer will be eligible for an OC-ADCAT scholarship, which is awarded at the end of the school year.
"I am so excited to showcase our seniors that have chosen to live drug and alcohol-free," said OC-ADCAT Education Committee Chairperson Charlotte Bellsmith. "I know this is not an easy thing to do. The pressure on our teens to drink while still underage is still pretty severe."