WESTPHALIA — Fatima senior Heidi Struemph is passionate about nutrition and fueling her body and mind correctly to perform to the best of her ability in sports and at school. Living a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle is important, and one of the reasons she was selected as the Osage County Anti-Drug Community Action Team (OC-ADCAT) Student of the Month for October.

“I want to be a registered dietitian after high school, and with that goal in mind, I am very mindful of what I am putting into my body,” she said. “I have done research before on the chemicals in drugs and alcohol, and truthfully, it terrifies me to see how these chemicals could affect my body and mind. It is also important because when I was in elementary school, I always told myself that I would never drink or do drugs. It became an unspoken promise to myself not to get involved in alcohol or drugs like some others around me. I want to become someone that younger me would be proud of, and so far, I can proudly say that I believe younger me would be proud of who I have become. I have goals, hobbies, and passions in life that I care about way more than putting toxins in my body just to ‘have fun.’ I do not see the point in using my time and destroying my body and mind when I can be focusing on becoming a better person and achieving my goals.”

FACS teacher Erica Libbert saw Struemph’s convictions and nominated her for the recognition, along with History teacher James Vignola.

“Heidi has been a steady voice among our high school students who choose not to participate in underage drinking and other activities that many her age are participating in,” said Libbert. “She spends time doing activities that are positive for our school and community. I appreciate that Heidi has chosen not to participate in underage drinking, which is a huge problem in Osage County.  But, I also appreciate that Heidi has a voice to speak out to others who are encouraging their peers to drink.”

Vignola added that he recommended Struemph for the award because of how much she cares about the school and the community. “I nominated Heidi because she is the positive role model this school and community needs,” he said. “She demonstrates maturity, leadership, integrity, and a genuine commitment to doing what is right. Her attitude and actions reflect that.”

Struemph isn’t quite sure what originally influenced her to avoid drugs and alcohol. “I believe it was multiple things, including hearing horrible stories of people losing everything to their addiction,” she said. “I am also influenced by my close cousin, Maggie Kloeppel, who is the SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) president with me. Since we were kids, we would talk about how ridiculous it is that people need to drink to have fun. Maggie is one of the most fun people to be around, and I think it’s a beautiful thing, knowing that Maggie and I have a genuine connection and that we do not need to drink to enjoy each other’s company. I have a feeling many people who have to drink to have fun with each other are lacking that connection, and that is why they feel the need to drink. I also believe sports influence me a lot. I always want to succeed, and it was always an easy excuse to not go out.”

In addition to Kloeppel, Struemph also has plenty of support from her parents, Glenn and Sheri, and brothers, Victor and Ben.

Struemph believes Osage County has normalized drinking so much that people feel awkward not to drink. “My hope as SADD president is that we can normalize choosing an alcohol and drug-free lifestyle,” she said. “When I was a freshman, I thought only a few people were actually involved in drugs and alcohol, but as I got older and found out about the extreme number of people who do it, it kinda scares me.”

Some days, Struemph said, she feels like one of the only teens who doesn’t vape or drink. “It used to make me feel like I am not even a teenager, like something is wrong with me for not wanting to vape or drink, until I realized that I am just more aware of the effects,” she added. “The problem is that while teenagers know drinking is bad, they are surrounded by other teenagers who drink and do drugs, so they do not think it truly could be that bad. I hope that we can start to shift our perspective from, ‘It’s not a big deal, everyone does it,’ to ‘It is always a big deal.’”

Libbert agreed. “I appreciate that Heidi has made a choice to not participate in underage drinking, which is a huge problem in Osage County,” she said. “But, I also appreciate that Heidi has a voice to speak out to others who are encouraging their peers to drink. I’m always so impressed at how she handles herself among her peers — she’s a true role model for the youth of Osage County.”

Vignola acknowledged how sharing opinions can be challenging, but has seen Struemph handle it with aplomb. “She’s not afraid to let her feelings be known,” he said. “Even if her opinion is unpopular, Heidi is steadfast in her beliefs. She has no issues with calling students out for their alcohol, drug use, or vaping. She’s gotten some flak for it at certain times, but she’s not afraid of that. Heidi stands up for what her conscience thinks is right.”

Struemph is the founder and president of the Fatima Nature Club this year. That story was presented recently in the Unterrified Democrat.

She is also involved with FBLA, Fatima Student Council (social media coordinator), Book Club, Art Club, and the Random Acts of Kindness Club (RAK). “I enjoy all these clubs very much, but being SADD president and sharing my passion and knowledge of living a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle with everyone else at school is one of the most rewarding feelings,” said Struemph. “It makes me hopeful that we can and are making a difference at Fatima.”

Struemph noted there is pressure to participate in parties or other activities involving drugs and alcohol. “I have found the best way to avoid peer pressure is being honest straight up and not putting yourself in the position where you feel the pressure,” she said. “There can be pressure at school when people ask you to come to a party with alcohol and drugs, or when they discuss their parties from the weekend before. If they talk to me about their parties, I usually just change the subject. There are lots of things you can talk about with people besides drugs and alcohol. When I was younger and got asked to attend parties, I made up some excuse not to go. As I got older, I realized that saying, ‘No, I do not do that,’ is all the reason I need. In fact, once people realized I didn’t want to go out and drink, people stopped asking me. If I do attend an activity with drinking involved, I will always bring water, and if someone asks me if I want to drink, I will simply say, No, I do not drink and then ask them if they just want water as well.”

Struemph excels as a student as well. “In the classroom, Heidi leads by example,” said Vignola. “She is inquisitive and curious, and asks a lot of ‘why’ questions in search of knowledge. She works well with others and treats everyone with respect. It doesn’t matter who you are, Heidi is always willing to include others, and has a genuine commitment to including those who may usually be excluded.”

Libbert added that Struemph is an excellent artist and spends time creating and selling her work.

Struemph is also competitive in cross country, wrestling, and track, with high achievements in her career.

While these activities help her retain focus, she couples them with nutrition. After graduation, Struemph plans to attend a four-year university to study nutrition and dietetics, specializing in giving nutrition advice to athletes. “I then plan on getting my Master’s Degree and becoming a Registered Dietitian,” she noted. “After college, I want to then open my own gym and wellness center, be a crossfit coach, and provide athletes with nutrition advice.”

Struemph has other goals, including volunteering in third-world countries, running a marathon, and starting a small woodworking business.

In preparation for becoming a crossfit coach and nutritionist, Struemph attends crossfit classes at AK-HIIT in Westphalia, educating herself on whole foods, making most of her food from scratch, and keeping her grades up for college. “All these goals align with my passions and my decisions to live a drug and alcohol-free life,” she said.

OC-ADCAT Executive Director Lorie Winslow will present a certificate to Struemph, who will be eligible to apply for the annual Student of the Month Scholarship. Winslow noted she was especially pleased to see Struemph earn this recognition, noting that OC-ADCAT sponsored Struemph’s attendance at last year’s Prevent Ed Teen Leadership Institute in St. Louis. “We were proud that she chose to go to be a representative from Fatima High School,” said Winslow. 

“I am so excited to showcase our seniors who have chosen to live a drug- and alcohol-free life,” said OC-ADCAT Education Committee Chairperson Charlotte Bellsmith. “I know this isn’t an easy thing to do. The pressure on our teens to drink while still underage is still pretty severe.”

For more information about OC-ADCAT, visit https://www.ocadcat.org.