School: Baldwin High School; Grade-point average: 4.0; Class rank: 1; Parents: Jim Schultze and Grace Schroer, Baldwin City

This Baldwin High School senior has seen how perseverance can pay off.

Marianne Schroer had played tennis for four years, working through her freshman year when she was “horrendous,” she said.

As she continued to improve, Schroer also suffered from frequent leg pain. Finally, in her senior year, doctors discovered a stress fracture in her tibia that cut short her senior season.

Admittedly, it devastated her until her coach at a team banquet named Schroer team captain and called her “one of the hardest-working players she’s ever had.”

That lesson has helped Schroer on and off the court.

“I had to work to get better at that. It transfers into the classroom,” she said.

Schroer has proof with a 4.0 grade-point-average and a spot at the top of her class.

She’s also been able to participate in a variety of activities at the school with just more than 400 students, and Schroer has put in hard work to benefit both from academics and activities.

“My parents help me balance things. It’s just worked out so far,” Schroer said.

She is undecided on a college or major, but she hopes to choose between Harvard, Northwestern, Duke, Vanderbilt and Kansas University in April.

She also hasn’t put a tennis comeback out of the picture.

“Now, after having two knee surgeries, I hope to be able to go back to the courts and play once again, hopefully without pain,” she said.

Honors, activities: National Merit finalist, Governor’s Scholar, Kansas Honor Scholar, Robert C. Byrd Honor Scholarship nominee (12); math team medalist, Principal’s 4.0 Honor Roll (9-12); National Honor Society, member (11-12), co-chair of blood drive (11-12), chair of food drive (12), president (12); Scholars Bowl, letter winner (9-12), captain (10-12); school newspaper writer (10-12), news editor (11-12), editor-in-chief (12); city newspaper writer (10-12); KSPA regional journalism competition (11), headline writing, second place and state qualifier, news writing, honorable mention and state qualifier, editorial cartoon, honorable mention and state qualifier; KU Project Directory Engineering Scholarship (9); debate, lettered (9), attained National Forensics League membership; Bulldog Booster’s T-shirt design winner (11); tennis (9-12), lettered (11-12), captain (12); fall musical (9-12); Fellowship of Christian Athletes (10-12); dance committee (9-12); French International Student Exchange (11); senior-freshman mentor (12); FCCLA (12), Student Council (10)

College: Harvard, Northwestern, Duke, Vanderbilt or Kansas University

Career plans: Undecided

Major: Undecided