APPLETON, Wis. — Gwenyth Konkle from Appleton West High School has competed in international competitions all while balancing school, athletics, volunteer work and part-time jobs.
Konkle competes in basketball, soccer, volleyball and in DECA competitions. She said she certainly isn’t perfect, but she is driven to meet her goals in everything she chooses to do.
“I feel like the thing with high school is that I have done everything that I've wanted to do,” said Konkle. “I don't think I'm looking back and thinking, ‘is there one more thing that I could have added to my plate?' Because honestly, I think I tried everything that there is.”
Last year, Konkle was diagnosed with Attention-Feficit/Hyperactivity Disorder also known as ADHD. She carries a planner with her everywhere she goes, to help keep her on track of her extremely busy schedule to help with her anxiety.
“I used to struggle with really prioritizing what was the most important task to get done versus like what could probably wait a little bit because to me they all seemed the same, like the same weight,” said Konkle. “Just being able to focus on these are the things I have to do and really trying to tell myself, like, what is the most important and prioritizing those tasks?”
Konkle is a 4.0 student and has qualified to compete in the DECA international competition twice where she learns skills in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. Her DECA advisor Courtney Pierce said seeing her be rewarded for her hard work is exciting to see.
“She studies, she takes the time in our flex periods, and she uses it to take practice tests,” said Pierce. She takes the time to really study, look at her performance indicators, know what business trends are going on with her scenario and like takes any extra minute that she has. She's using it towards education and improving herself.”
On the court, Konkle is the captain of her varsity basketball team. Appleton West Girls Basketball Head Coach, Julie Ziemer, said Konkle will do whatever needs to be done for the betterment of the team.
“She’ll give you 100% in anything you ask her to do," said Ziemer. “She's a super caring kid. Like she's probably the best teammate that we have as well."
Konkle is still deciding on where she wants to attend college in the fall, but she plans on majoring in pharmacology and toxicology. She said she will likely not play competitive sports in college, so she is making the most of the time she does have.
“I’m probably not going to remember anything about the wins and losses or anything like that,” said Konkle. “Just the people and the memories that I've made with my teammates.”