GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Southwest high school student Desiree Veeser recently coordinated a book drive for local elementary schools. A few hand-decorated cardboard boxes soon started filling up with donations.
“We got a lot of picture books," said Veeser as she checked the progress of one box.
Earlier this year, Veeser helped protect local kids from the cold with a clothing drive called Warming Hearts.
“I just loved seeing the smiles on all the kids' faces. We hand-delivered some of the stuff to them, and it was so sweet," said Veeser.
The project was through Future Farmers of America, one of Veeser's many school clubs.
FFA advisor Tom Sebranek said Veeser has a bubbly personality and is the kind of student every teacher wants in the classroom.
“Once she’s in, she’s in. Once you get the hook, you got her, which is a cool thing, and then she goes all in with whatever she’s doing," said Sebranek.
Family Consumer Science teacher Rachel Johnson called Veeser a gentle spirit. She said she sometimes paired Veeser with struggling students in class.
“I know that I could just say maybe one or two things to Desiree, and she’s going to take that other student who may need a little extra love or attention or just a friend and put him or her right under her wing," said Johnson.
Despite a difficult slate of classes, Veeser maintained a nearly perfect GPA while loading up on volunteer hours and participating in school clubs.
To help balance things out, she turned to running. Veeser loves cross country and track.
“It’s the most calming part of my day, which sounds insane because it’s running," said Veeser.
Dylan Grimsrud coached her in both sports for all four years and watched Veeser develop into a team leader.
“If I wasn’t there or if I had to go somewhere for an emergency or whatever, I could trust her to give the other girls a workout, and she would do it," said Grimsrud.
Veeser plans to attend University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point next year and said she hopes to become an elementary school speech pathologist. It's a career that hits close to home.
"My brother had one when he was younger. My mom also had one later in her life," said Veeser. “The only thing I’ve always known is I want to do something with people and I want to help."
Johnson said Veeser isn't just checking boxes with her activities, she's involved because she truly wants to help. She became emotional when asked about Veeser’s future.
“She’s just like this light, and we don’t have a lot of lights. I am very excited to see where she’s gonna go. She’s going to impact so many people, and that’s exciting," said Johnson.
Veeser went beyond medals, trophies and awards. She changed her community for the better, and many that know her said they think the best is yet to come.