Elijah Grover made the decision last summer to stay in Iola to complete his senior year at Iola High School while his parents, David and Jodi, and two younger brothers, Isaiah and Micah, moved west to Cheney. “It would have been hard to leave all my friends here,” said Grover — one of four valedictorians in the 2013 graduating class.
Living with his grandmother, Fran Clay, over the past year, the 17-year-old will graduate from IHS with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. It’s not just about the grades for Grover, however; there’s much more to his high school success.
For four years Grover has represented his class as vice president on student council. “We’ve worked very well together” he said of the student organization.
“Things have changed for the better,” Grover added, noting the older students used to pick on the younger students, but that the student council has been working to improve class relations. “We’ve changed the dynamic here to make a more friendly environment at IHS. Students are more involved now, and that definitely improves the performance of the students in the classrooms.”
During his sophomore year, Grover was inducted into the National Honor Society and discovered his interest in acting. After a lead role in the fall play “Greek Mythology Olympiaganza,” Grover continued his passion and joined the forensics team — a club activity that takes a creative twist on debate.
“I like forensics,” he explained. “It’s a lot of quick thinking and moving around in improvised situations.”
He and his acting partner, Chanel Coyne, qualified for the state competition and are headed to Topeka this weekend to compete.
Outside the school building, Grover is a three-season athlete. He made varsity football, basketball, and track and field teams his sophomore year, and was one of four captains on the varsity football team as well as one of two captains on the varsity basketball team.
After graduation, Grover plans to attend Kansas State University where he will pursue a degree in computer engineering.
The senior received an Academic Achievement Scholarship at the awards banquet on Wednesday that covers tuition at KSU for the first three semesters. “I like computers because they never stop upgrading and changing,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what type of technology we can create and work with. It’s very exciting.”
Grover will be the second in his family to attend K-State. His father, David, 49, earned his degree in education at K-State and after teaching high school history for many years he recently accepted a job as the superintendent of the Cheney School District, which initiated the family’s move from Iola last summer.
“If it weren’t for my family’s love and support, this year would have been very different,” said Grover, admitting it was difficult to have his parents and brothers move nearly two hours away. “I want to thank my family for making my senior year much better than I could have ever imagined. I think my decision to stay was a good choice.”
Grover thrives in midst of changes
