There are some energetic and creative young journalists in Winona and they gathered at a Cotter summer program for a newswriting camp the week of June 9.  One of their assignments was to write a profile of  another workshop member.  Here are some results:

Colin Cada: A Superstar in the Making

By: Aubrey Williams

There are many talented people in Winona, but on 921 East Broadway, a star is  developing.

Colin Michael Cada, age 11, and son of Vickie and Jon Cada, has been singing and  dancing since he could walk and talk, but the start of his acting career really took off during  2011, when he got a role in the Home and Community Options play, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.

Colin participates in plays around the Winona Area, but lately, has been getting much bigger parts.

Colin is playing Jojo, the main role in the HCO play, Seussical the Musical , this week.

“I’m feeling a mix of emotions, as the play is this week. I’m excited, but I’m starting
to get a little nervous,” said Colin.

When Colin isn’t on the stage acting or singing, he is reading Goosebumps books,
hanging out with his cousin and role model, Jessica Kohner, or just being a kid. Colin says he’s
excited to go to Lake Okoboji, Iowa, to swim, make pizzas, and do arts and crafts towards the
end of the summer.

Colin’s love of acting has  been with him forever.

“We have old family pictures and videos of me dancing and singing around the house when I was really young,” he states with a laugh.

Colin’s friends describe him as funny, smart, crazy, a good actor, and short.

“I really like that Colin is always the life of the party and always makes us laugh,” notes school friend,

Hannah Graff.

“He’s mischievous, vivid, and memorable,” adds  Macey Dvorak.

, “Some strengths I have are being confident, being myself, and not hiding my personality. I’m also proud of myself for just getting up on a stage and acting,”  added Colin

When asked where is inspiration comes from, Colin proclaims, “Like I said, I’ve always loved to act. I really
am inspired by this one quote that goes something like ‘Always be confident no matter what
happens.’ I also look up to Idina Menzel because she’s so good at acting and singing.”

In the future, Colin wants to attend St. Mary’s University, where his mom, Vickie Cada
works, and become a “triple threat”, an actor, dancer, and singer.

“St. Mary’s has a really good  theater program,” Colin explains. “And my mom works there, so I get to go there for free!”

Hannah Graff: “Sprinting” from Author to Actress

by Macey Dvorak

Funny, nice, a great friend, these are just some of the ways people describe Hannah Graff.

Hannah Jean Graff was born on July 26, 2003, at Gunderson-Lutheran hospital. She appeared in her first play at the age of four. She was a munchkin in the HCO production of The Wizard of Oz.

She has gotten into some of interests like acting, singing, and dancing because her other seven family members have shown interest in these areas. In fact, you can see her acting in Seussical this weekend and St. Mary’s University.

Hannah also likes creative writing in school, basketball, arts, and the Packers.

Hannah Graff would like to become either an author, illustrator, actress, or a sprinter. Based on her progress so far, these seem like some quite realistic jobs for her. She has earned awards for placing first in tennis, second in basketball and is now in algebra for math.

“I remember on time we were driving past a llama farm and Hannah made up a funny saying, it’s now like a inside joke for us now,” stated student Aubrey Williams.

“I really like how she’s awesome at writing stories,” tells Colin Cada.

Hannah Graff, actress, author, illustrator, and most importantly, great person.

GQ: a good athlete and a better friend

By Megan Morgan

Grace Quinn, better known as G. Q., has many strengths and one of them is doing triathlons. She loves to swim, bike, and run.

“Even though Faith beats me in the running events I really enjoy them,” admits Grace.

Last year Grace did an Iron Kids event and placed 15^th in a national age group. Her parents were very proud of her for that accomplishment.

Grace is always moving. Her after school activities include soccer and basketball.

“Playing with my friends is really fun,” said Grace.

During the summer she also love to go swimming in the pool in her backyard. G.Q is very excited for the summer. One thing she can’t wait to do is to travel down to Florida. While her family is there, her dad plans to compete in an Iron man competition, which is a very long triathlon.

Grace looks up to her mom as a person who puts forth a great example.

“She’s really a strong person and will help me with anything,” said Grace. “It was hard while she was going through her treatment, but she never freaked out.”

Her future plans are to go to a phenomenal college in Hawaii then live there as a doctor.

She is a great friend to everyone and here are some reasons why:

‘’Grace is really funny, a great athlete, and an awesome friend!’’ said Aubrey Williams.

‘’The first time I met her I thought her name was J.Q. instead of G.Q,” added Maddy Kohner.

‘’I really like G.Q. because she always makes me smile,’’ said Sophie Nisbit.

‘’I remember one time at halftime of a soccer game a girl on the other team thought her name

was D.Q.. That earned her a nickname., ’ laughed Alyssa Williams.

‘’G.Q. is so helpful and caring to all of her siblings, ’’ said Mary Morgan.

G.Q. is an amazing friend who can always be counted on. She’s very athletic and is always having fun.

Serving People and Pandas: Macey Dvorak

by Hannah Graff

Macey Dvorak, age 10, is a rising superstar in volleyball decides to run to the safety of pandas.

Daughter of Kimberly and Darryl, Macey wants to be either a world traveler or panda expert.

“Macey it has always been suggested that she should be a comedian, but I know she will always live up to being what she wants to be in,” said one of Macey’s friends.

Volleyball is an example of one area where excels.

“She is always an outstanding role model and a very well focused student,” said another close friend.

One of her focuses is to save the panda population from extinction and get schools and others to be more aware of the decrease in wildlife.

“I really like Macey’s love for animals!” a friend of hers, Colin, exclaimed.

“Another thing I might want to be is a wildlife expert,” said Macey.

Some of Macey’s inspirations are her friends, parents, and family.  Strengths include grades, volleyball, how to be gentle or rough, responsibility, and knowledge of wildlife and pandas, as well as her ability to be ready and able to help this cause.

“I would like to get people and schools aware of what we are doing to the planet,” added Macey.

Born on July 11, she has moved from Danville, IN, to Merritt Island, FL, to Wassenar in the

Netherlands, then, most recently, to Winona, MN, her current location.

Presently she attends St. Stan’s school. Macey plans to go to Cotter School, and then to college where she will major in math and wildlife and play volleyball in her free time in high school, college and possibly beyond.

Math, art, writing, reading and exploring are things Macey loves to weave into her free time.

Macey means “Place of Maccius” where everything is glittery and Macey-style (volleyball nets, pandas, etc.).

“Kate,” in the words of Macey, “my middle name, means Rose. I don’t know I forgot. It’s Greek,” Macey added.

“I like pandas, to read about fantasy and mystery, blue and green and purple”-(I’ll just put rainbow, okay Macey?)

“And I like Reese’s and watermelon. Oh, wait, I like glitter. Put down glitter! PUT DOWN GLITTER!”

Macey’s friends describe her as smart, unique (“Umm…” in some cases), awesome, crazy and very humorous. Several friends and instructors have comments on how she lights up everyone around her.

  “I really like that Macey is funny (like me),” a volleyball star friend of Macy’s said.

 “I remember one time when Macey went back to first base,” said Alyssa, this was confirmed by Alyssa’s sister Aubrey.

 “Macey is an angel!” stated a fifth grade teacher (shortly after, she tripped over a desk after trying to be an angel).

“I remember one time when Macey choked on water, looked on the water bottle, then exclaimed, ‘Oh great, choking warning!’,” added another friend.

 Her favorite inspirational quote is, “Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish on how well it can climb a tree, that person will live in stupidity their whole life.”

Sophia Nisbit:  The Compassionate Kid

by Elanna Kohner

There’s a funny, faithful, gentle and clever 4^th grade girl: her name is Sophia Nisbit.

Sophie is really a funny girl, she laughs at everyone’s jokes and has a lot of her own.

Sophie is gentle with all the fragile stuff that her friends bring to school. She is really nice too, and always has kind things to say to other people.

Sophie likes to tell stories about going to her cabin in Wisconsin. At her 9^th birthday party, her friends got to do some fun activities, like decorating hair bands with ribbons.

Her brother and sister are really nice, their names are Olivia and Max.

Sophie always likes to write long stories whenever she can. She always hangs out with her second cousin Anna.

In school Sophie and I wrote a book called Flower Girl. We didn’t finish it because it was the end of the year.

Sophie’s birthday is October 14, four day’s after my mom’s birthday.

Sophie also likes to participate in swimming meets. Her favorite channel is the Disney channel, which is also my favorite. Her role model is Mrs. Berhow and her favorite person is Ella.

Elanna Kohner’s Lovely Life

by Sophia Nisbit

Elanna is nine years okld, she just finished third grade and is going into fourth grade.  Elanna was born in Wisconsin, on August 14, 2005.

Elanna has  a sister named Madeline, and two brothers named Cale and Brandon.

When Elanna grows up she would love to be a veterinarian.  Elanna loves working with animals and heloping thenm get better.  She would also like to live in Iowa when she gets older.

Her favorite thing to do in the summer is to go on vacations, and her favorite place to go is Florida. She once went to Universal Studions in Orlando.

Elanna likes going on vacation because she likes doing fun things.  Her favorite sport is softball because of the tournaments.

Elanna’s favorite color is pink because it is very bright!

Anna Piechowski: Future Fashion Designer

by Grace Renk

I had a fascinating interview with Anna Piechowski, Winona’s up and coming fashion designer.

Anna, a fourth grader, has a superb talent in fashion.  In the future, Anna would like to study top fashion at the University of Minnesota.  Anna’s love for drawing and math skills will help make her an awesome designer.

Anna i nine years old anwas born on Spetember 17, 2004 in La Crosse, Wisconsin.  Anna goes to WACS 9or St. Stan’s) for school.  Anna has one older sister and lives in Winona with her mom and dad.

“When you are sad, Anna can cheer you up,” said Sophie Nisbit, one of Anna’s good friends.

Other words that might describe Anna are cheerful, eager, and outgoing.  Anna is also kind and smart.

When it comes to school Anna takes things seriously.  Anna’s favorite subjects in school are art and math.  Anna is proud that she is taking extra math classes to buil her skills.  Anna also likes to read fantasy and mystery books.

“Anna is a hard worker and always helpful,” said another friend.

Anna’s role models are her mom and dad because they support her in so many ways.

Megan Morgan:  A Peek at Her Life

by Grace Quinn

Megan Morgan, age 10, is a driven young basketball player.

Just having finished fourth grade,  Megan is practicing more and more every day. Her mom, Rita, is her coach and has her practice in the gym they have in their house. Megan’s 12 year old sister, Mary, also does drills with her, leaving her brother Patrick, 7, to behind to cheer, accompanied by Paul, her dad.

She has lots of friends at school and is very bright.

“I really like how she is athletic and excels at school, ” remarked Hannah Graf.

“I really like Megan because she is really nice and funny!,” laughed Sophie Nisbit.

“I  couldn’t ask for a better friend,” said another friend.

He role model is Lindsay Whalen, point guard for the Minnesota Lynx.  “I like her because she is hard working and tough,” admired Megan.

She is very smart, gets good grades, which will be great for when she goes to Notre Dame, her dream college.

With a goal to go to the Olympics, a strong family, and good grades, not much is in the way of this daring girl.

Anna Florness:  A Girl of Many Talents

by Anna Piechowski

I had a splendid interview with Anna Florness,  here’s some things I learned about her.

Anna would like to be a vet when she grows up because she really likes being around animals. She has a #1 dog, named Luna, who is a two year old golden retriever, Anna loves to play with Luna.

Anna was born in Winona, Minnesota, on April 28, 2005.  Anna has a large family with four siblings and her parents.    Her favorite subjects in school are P.E. and reading.

Anna’s friends describe her as sporty and she is always willing to do her best and work with others.

Anna is proud of her work at school and a person she really looks up to is her dad.

“Amazing” Grace Renk: Future Veterinarian

by Anna Florness

Welcome to some special moments in the life of Grace Renk!

Grace was born in Winona, her birthday is September 23, 2004,  Grace is now nine years old.  Her name means blessed by God, and her role models are her mom and dad.

Grace has a large family, besides her mom and dad, she has a sister Lauren, 19, and brothers, Jacob, 16, Christian, 14, and Joey, 11,  and her dog Louie.

Louie has torn both his ACLs and has seizures so he has to take pills.

An achievement she is proud of is building her math skills, and for a future job would is considering being a vet.

She likes to read mystery and fantasy books and some of her favorite activities are biking , hiking, and playing sports with her friends.

“I really like Grace because she is always nice to me,” said Sophia Nisbit.

“I really like that she is really, really, really funny!,” added Alyssa Williams.

Grace’s friends describe her as “crazy” and “nice.”    Grace is a clever, cheerful, responsible and friendly person.

Alyssa Williams: Rising Soccer Star

by Maddie Kohner

Who ever heard of a girl who would pick her sister as her role model?

Who is Alyssa Williams?  Alyssa will be 10 on July 28 and is a rising soccer star on the Euro team.

She also plays softball for the Winstars in her hometown of Winona, Minnesota, and went to the Shelby tournament where she barked out “I want to beat the Rapid Fire so bad!”  She was talking about another team in the tournament.

Alyssa loves playing soccer, softball, basketball, and piano.  Her favorite food is Chinese food, her favorite movies are Frozen and Malificent, and her favorite color is pink.  Alyssa loves to read mystery books.

Her strengths are reading and hitting softballs.  She is considering a medical job, maybe becoming a vet.  Alyssa is the daughter of Tom and Linda Williams and has two sisters, Aubrey and Abby.  Her family is active,kind, generous, stunning and smart.  She is dazzling like her family.

Alyssa is also a hard working student at St. Stan’s.  She is wise at school and an A+ student.  Her favorite character is Hello Kitty.

“I really like how funny she is when she jokes around,”  said Grace Quinn.

Her craziest friend is Macey Dvorak.

Her role model is her sister Aubrey, “I remember one time we were fighting over a softball and fell over each other,”  laughed Alyssa.

Thank you for reading about this thrilling kid.

Who is Maddie Kohner?

by Alyssa Williams

 Maddie Kohner, age 10 going on eleven, dreams of becoming a cupcake maker, a lwayer, or an olympian.

What does she like to do outside of schoo?  She likes to play softball and basketball.  Why?  Because they are favorite sports!  She has played softball in lots of different places and plays basketball mostly at St. Stan’s.  She plays for the Winstars softball team and Wildcat basketball team.

“I like that she is so encouraging,” said her teammate Megan Morgan.

“I like that she doesn’t give up easily,” said Aubrey Williams.

“She is a very good artist,” added Colin Cada.

Maddie would like to attend the Yale Art Institute for college.  One achievement that she is proud of is that she aearned an A+ in reading.  She likes to read mystery and fantasy books.Madde’s favorite subject in school is science.

Here are a few fun facts about Maddie.  Her name means “tower”.  One of her role models is Gabby Douglass.  She was born at Gunderson-Lutheran hospital in La Crosse.  Her friends describe her as funny, smart, cool and kind.

“One thing I am excited about for this summer is playing softball.”  stated Maddie.

If Maddie could have any pet she wanted, she would have a pug.

Maddie has six people in her family.  Some of  her favorite things are butter noodles, the movies Grease and Grown Ups, her favorite color is blue and one of her strengths is writing.

She wants to beat Rapid Fire and would like to meet the USA gymnastics team.

There’s lots more to learn about Maddie, get to know her!

Maddy McConville: Enjoying life and loving her family

by Grace Finnerty

There is a girl with a lot of energy, who loves to have fun and she is especially proud of her family, they call her Maddy McC (mick-see).

Maddy was born July 19,2004, at a hospital in Shakopee Minn.

When Maddy was a day old she was adopted by the McConville family.

Maddy’s parents were both born in Minnesota and love Maddy with their whole hearts. Maddy loves her parents and her dog, who she says sometimes steals her stuff and moves it.

Maddy is always laughing with her friends and telling them jokes.

 “She is always happy to see you,” noted Grace Quinn.

“She is very funny and humorous,” concluded Payton Weifenbach.

Grace Finnerty:  animal lover who enjoys life

by Maddy McConville

Grace Finnerty is an amazing friend who loves animals.

“She is always enjoying herself and full of fun,” said one of her friends.

Grace was born in Guelph, Canada on December 18, 2003.  Her name means ‘a gift from God’.

She looks up to her dad as a role model and she does well in school.   Her favorite subject in school is social studies.

Her favorite phrase is “take the tarts when they pass they tray,” which means take opportunities when the come around because they might not come again.

When she gets older she would like to attend the University of Chicago for college.

Aubrey Williams – an all-around talent

by Payton Weifenbach

Aubrey Williams is the kind of kid who seems to be good at everything, just ask her friends.

“Aubrey is really a good athlete, especially at basketball”,  said Megan Morgan.

“Aubrey is a good reader and writer and excels at school,”  said Hannah Graff.

Aubrey is from Winona and attends St.Stan’s school.   She loves school and always gets good grades.  She also likes to read lots of different kinds of books.

Aubrey’s parents are Tom and Linda, and she has two sisters whose names also start with “A”, Alyssa and Abby.

Aubrey is an excellent athlete who loves basketball, softball, and soccer and is also good at music.

As you can see with all these talents, the future is very bright for Aubrey Williams.

Payton:   Athlete of the Future

by Colin Cada

Payton Weifenbach is definitely a true athlete, but will he continue to follow his dreams?

Payton was born on March 29, 2004. He has three dogs, Sadie, Barnie, and Frida, and rides horses in the summer with his aunt in Georgia. He wants to go to Florida State University because it has good sports  programs and it takes good grades to enter the school.

Math is his favorite subject in school, other then P.E and recess, of course.

When  asked about Payton, people  always describe Payton as an athlete.

, “Payton always puts effort into basketball, ” said Megan Morgan.

Following up that statement,  “My favorite  sport by far is basketball!” Payton exclaimed.

He won a first place medal for soccer,  and 2nd and 5th place medals for baseball.

“He  is also a great pitcher,” said Aubrey Williams.

In adulthood Payton would like to continue playing sports.  Who knows?  Maybe he could become the next Brett Favre, or maybe he will be a math wiz like Albert Einstein.

Four words describe Payton:humorous, athletic,  lively, and brave. .

When asked for a final thought to finish a sentence, Payton said “Payton Weifenbach is… ‘A good person, and good at  sports! ‘ ”