KALISPELL — On a given day, you can find Kalispell Glacier senior Jude Sparkman participating in multiple clubs and activities his school has to offer.
As a member of the cross country team, speech and debate, National Honor Society and Youth Alive, Sparkman is constantly involved in something.
With that much responsibility, these activities could be overwhelming for him. But for Sparkman, being this heavily involved is an honor.
“First of all, it's just the people I get to be around,” Sparkman said. “In cross country and in these clubs, they're just really great people. They love what they're doing, and they're very dedicated to that, and so that makes my job a lot easier just to be involved.”
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Not only does Sparkman enjoy being involved, but he also loves to challenge himself by working hard and staying motivated.
Glacier cross country coach Cody Moore has seen first hand how his involvement with these clubs has translated to his performance in the sport.
“He's somebody who is not afraid of hard work, but also does it with the spirit that's pretty joyful and pretty willing,” Moore said. “He doesn't do it just to go through the motions. He does it because he wants to get the most out of it and to be a better human from that.”
After high school, Sparkman intends to run at the college level and major in engineering.
With a 4.0 grade-point average and as involved as he is, the world will seemingly be Sparkman’s oyster when the time comes.
No matter what he ends up doing, it is clear he will have the same work ethic he has had throughout his high school years in every phase of his life.
“Having that 4.0 is important, but the biggest thing to me is just knowing that I work hard, knowing that I put the effort in to achieve what I can," he said. "I would love to keep on learning, and after college, just in life, learn everything that I can.”
