Morris graduate Chris Gallick returns to speak to students for Honors Night

Chris Gallick, a Morris Community High School graduate and Assistant Director of Budget and Financial Planning at the Colorado School of Mines, said he doesn’t remember much from his own Awards Night at the high school; what he does remember, is he thought he had a plan.

As it turned out, he didn’t. He said he thought he was going to school to become a doctor sitting in that folding chair in the Morris Community High School gym when he was a senior in high school. He was heading to Michigan State to major in chemical engineering on the pre-medical school track. If that didn’t work out, he’d just become an engineer.

“After one year of engineering classes, I knew that I did not want to be an engineer,” Gallick said. “But that was my backup plan anyway. So, I made a change. I dropped my engineering major and switched to chemistry, and I was all in on that pre-med track. That worked out great for another year or two.”

He realized after volunteering at a hospital and talking to physicians about the career field that he didn’t want to do that either. It was three years into his chemistry degree and he was on a four-year scholarship, and the change was going to make him stay in school for an additional one or two years that he wasn’t sure he could afford.

He kept the chemistry major, but he made another change: He started working in alumni relations, working to raise money for scholarships like the one that made his time at Michigan State possible.

“Unlike my first two plans at Michigan State, that third plan actually did work out the way I expected,” Gallick said. “Which was great news, at least kind of. Even though I did end up working for Michigan State, and even though I was working in fundraising, which is what I wanted at the time, after a few years I still felt like I wanted to make even more changes.”

Gallick learned that he didn’t like fundraising and often the people he was calling didn’t like him. He was also living in his college town long after his friends had graduated, and he was getting the itch to live in a bigger city.

He ended up getting a job working in the financial aid office at the University of Colorado Boulder, moving to Denver in the process. From there, he got a job in scholarship management at the University of Denver, and then made another change and another, change. He started at the Colorado School of Mines six months ago.

“I’m running through the last steps of my career quickly because I don’t remember what my honors night speaker said, and I’m not convinced any of you will remember, either,” Gallick said. “The part that I think is important, and that I hope you do remember, is the fact that when I was sitting in your seats as high school students, I had no idea what my career was gonna look like. I had no idea what my career was gonna look like halfway through college. I had no idea what my career was going to look like one year, three year, five years into my career. Now I’m standing up here today, 10 years in, and guess what? I still don’t know what the rest of my career is going to look like.”

He said the uncertainty of the future doesn’t make him nervous anymore, because he’s had opportunities to prove to himself that no matter what happens, he’s capable of making whatever changes will be best for him and his loved ones, and other people are as capable of making those same changes.

Here are the students honored for making high honor roll for the 2024-25 school year:

Seniors

James W. Addis, Logan R. Matzen, Jacqueline Aguilera, Grace E. Mennenga, Reagan E. Oelschlager, Connor D. Ahearn, Trey A. Olson, Jason A. Ajlan, Leah N. Ortiz, Kedzie K. Auwerda, Bergen M. Paulson, Blaine M. Beshoar, Colin J. Pfeifer, Julia M. Borgstrom, Ayla Phillips, Meghan Bzdill, Taylin V. Phillips, Brian Chen, Taylor B. Cotter, Marleyna J. Price, Ashlyn R. Punke, Shelby G. Doss, Liam T. Eber, Bradley J.H. Raffel, Andrew J. Engelke, Cameron D. Raymer, Mackenzie Enger, Zoe A. Redmond Stanley, Joseph A. Frias, Gisselle D. Reyes, Callie F. Fulkerson, Emma G. Savoree, Nicole E. N. Gagnon, Macy L. Shell, Jazlin L. Gonzalez, Donovan P. Smith, Daniel A. Hess, Paige R. Swanson, Julia N. Knoblich, Brianne N. Temme, Elise J. Knudson, Nevach D. Terry, Angel Luna, Brandy S. Valencia-Farias, Carolina Maravilla, Paityn R. Valentine, Charles G. Martello, Jack D. Wilkinson ,Danica L. Martin, Griffin M. Zweeres, and Makensi L. Martin.

Juniors

Aidan R. Aldrich, Chace D. Bachert, Connor M. Barth, Dylan E. Cleek, Ava M. Conley, Griffyn R. Cowell, Sarah A. Crisman, Logan A. Deck, Emilee K. Doss, Parker W. Fleetwood, Sophia N. Garcia, Emma S. Gilbertson, Caitlin T. Gile, Margaret J. Haas, Brian ]. Haish, Madeline G. Hamer, Lillian K. Hansen, Brady S. Harris, Addison R. Lanahan, Cade M. Laudeman, Lissette Leon, Gianna G. Marino, Jeffrey L. Martinez, Juan E. Martinez, Chase P. McConnell, Hayden W. McGhee, Xavier ]. Medina, Grace P. Misener, Alderson H. Morrison V, Milena K. Muffler, Brooklynn R. Nigro, Isabell J. Nissen, Olivia K. Novick, Kylie E. Overbeck, Molly K. Passerman, Aanya H. Patel, Shreya N. Patel, Brodie C. Peterson, Olivia G. Peterson, Skyler C. Saelens, Sophie R. Sanders, Jace A. Scalf, Lorna R. Seamans, Brenna M. Sheets, Giselle Soto, Logan K. Sparrow, Riley P. Tedford, Noemi I. Trejo, Ella C. Urbasek, Rowan D. Wampler, and Jonathan J. Zarbock.

Sophomores

Cole T. Anderson, Aubrey S. Lines, Brady O. Armstrong, Wyatt ]. Linn, Brady J. Babington, Vivian A. Lopez, Vivian L. Benson, Genaro S. Lucatero, Colin T. Bertino, Eli J. McDonnell, Caden M. Medler, Connor J. Bogard, Xander M. Braun, Jocelyn Mendez, Clarissa M. Cardenas, Rosemary L. Misener, Bianca V. Cardona, Addyson N. Olson, Brock D. Claypool, Taylor A. Peterson, Lilyan L. Conroy, Camryn M. Pfeifer, Heidi L. Cook, Helen E. Ritke, Adalyn S. Corwin, Ky J. Scalf, Aidan L. Donahue, Ivette Sedano, Tyler C. Downey, Griffin J. B. Shannon, Natalie E. Fithian, Madelyn L. Shell, Amber P. Frederick, Olivia K. A. Stanley, Mia D. Frias, Kaelin R. Strainis, Caleb A. Fulkerson, Autumn R. Street, Estefany Gonzalez-Guerrero , Aiden J. S. Swan, Mioalexander Govea, Cuyler E. Swanson, Aiden M. Graham, Noah Trejo, Amy M. Gunn, Peyton J. Uher, Lani M. Hanley, Grady N. Jensen, August D. Valdivia, Leslie Juarez-Osorio, Efrain Valencia Jr, Robert J. Kennedy, Dakota J. Welch, Landon A. Kupiec, Audrey E. Williams, Leah M. Laughary, and Maddie K. Wills.

Freshman

Elizabeth G. Alford, Caleb P. Lohse, Lola L. Animashaun Harris, Leah C. Lopez, Parker T. Barry, Diego A. Lugo, Troy D. Bauer, Leah M. Martin, Matthew J. Boaz, Sarah K. McNames, Abigail M. Borchers, Adelyn R. Medler, Avery J. Britt, Kimberly M. Nino, Logan R. Carey, Brayden N. Olson, Angel S. Carrillo, Sullivan J. Olson, Lyla G. Coney, Koen J. Panti, Addison R. Cotter, Austin T. Perry, Tessa K. Cryder, Nolan J. Raymer, Toni A. Cumba, Sebastian Serna, Emily M. Cuthbertson, Claire R. Severson, Cameron D. Deck, Kian M. Shannon, Kelsey M. DeMarse, Sierra M. Smith, Keeley J. Dix, Gracie J. Swartz, Connor G. Donaldson, Adrianna M. Tessler, Ellie K. Dworak, Trevin A. Timmons, Elif Dzelil, Lydia C. Urbasek, Zoie L. Evans, Selina Valdes, Lilybeth R. Feldman, Tessa N. Villarreal, Leah V. Fitzmaurice, Josephine S. Walsh, Colbie N. Foehringer, Tate C. Wampler, Madisen L. Garcia, Emerson G. Wheeler, Jale M. Granby, Braden M. Wickkiser, Audrey C. Haas, Colin C. Wickman, Allison M. Hess, Stella L. Wright, Lola Q. Hester, Madelynn A. Zamora, Deluca K. Klepp, Bryce A. Zaver, and LilyAnne N. Lee.