“’Bye y’all, gotta go eat my soup.”
That tagline, used by ASB Vice-President, Carly Ostrem, as the means to abruptly sign-off each day from the reading of the CHS announcements, is indicative of Carly’s nature: someone who cheerfully does not take herself or life too seriously. Ostrem’s routine quip, routinely succeeds in placing a mid-morning smile on the face of students and faculty alike.
Carly is a CHS senior and has been a K-12 student of and testament to the effectiveness of the Cascade School District. In addition to being an honor roll student, she is active in ASB (Vice President), Select Choir (alto), sideline cheer (co-captain) and golf teams and volunteers with Stage Kids. Managing such a busy and rigorous schedule while maintaining balance in life, according to Ostrem, comes down to “being very organized and disciplined enough to stick with the schedule I plan for myself. It helps that my afterschool activities are synonymous to me with fun and where my friends are too.”
Carly’s sideline cheer co-captain, Jade Marks, is looking forward to another exciting season of cheering on fellow Kodiaks with Ostrem. Jade, while recalling fondly her bonding with Carly over team dinners and blanket making nights at the Ostrem house, speaks of Carly as “such a generous and kind person, always happy to selflessly cheer on and support classmates.” Likewise, senior Britni Harris thinks of Carly as a friend who “is so motivated and outgoing” that “she just exudes a fun energy.”
The traits that help endear Carly to her fellow students have the same effect on CHS faculty. Choral director Mindy Wall thinks of her as the member of the choir “who most helps to bring our group together. Carly is a joyous, hard-working girl with social skills she lends to the whole choir, making us like a family.” Similarly, private vocal instructor and CHS alumni, Amy Edwards, who has taught Ostrem “since she was a little girl,” observed that “when Carly arrives for her lesson, she lights up the room with her enthusiasm. She is also one of my hardest workers and has developed a technically skilled and aesthetic singing voice.”
When asked for the source of her seemingly unending enthusiastic hard work, Carly said simply, “my parents. They have always been such great support for me, and I have always looked up to them as role models.” That grounding from home is also helping to propel Ostrem forward, as she plans to not only attend college next fall but continue her education through graduate school.
In the meantime, Carly intends to help the CHS student body have a great 2021-22 school year and was even seen on campus the Sunday before homecoming week happily working on decorations for the coming celebrations. Assistant Principal and ASB Advisor Rudy Joya, when asked for his thoughts on Carly, quickly affirmed “her passion for all things Kodiak, not least of all her fellow students.”
Time spent with her fellow Kodiaks are at the root of Ostrem’s favorite memories at CHS: “My best are celebrating with my teammates after winning league in golf and, of course, all the homecoming weeks!”
Threading through the reflections on Carly from teachers and students is a sense of joyful responsibility and a care for her fellow students. It is no surprise then that when she was asked for a few words of wisdom for CHS underclassmen, Ostrem did not hesitate to all but exclaim: “Smile and just be happy! The ride is a quick one. So why not cheer each other on and enjoy it!”
Make sure to smile back at Carly when you see her in the halls or eating her soup and, if you like, leave a comment for her below.
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