Mia Pemberton plans to move into a dorm at Kansas State in a few months and begin working toward her ultimate academic goal of studying in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
 
That inevitable next step in Pemberton’s journey will no doubt leave a void at Erie High School – where she is senior class president – and a few of the surrounding southeast Kansas communities where her busy lifestyle regularly takes her.
 
“It hit me hard about a week ago,” said Pemberton, this week’s Capitol Federal® True Blue® Student of the Week. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I only have another month of school.’ I was talking to some of my friends and we were like this is it. Being involved in this community is coming to an end, at least until I go away to college and come back.”
 
Whether holding leadership roles for Erie’s student council, KAY Club and Future Farmers of America chapters, earning All-Tri Valley League volleyball honors after a senior-season position change to libero, or mentoring younger members of Neosho County’s Hillcrest 4-H Club, Pemberton has made her mark.

 
“What a great leader,” said Jamie Carlisle, faculty advisor for Erie’s student council, of which Pemberton serves as president. “Mia truly understands that leadership is about being a servant and helping those around her be successful. From homecoming festivities to high school dances to door decoration contests, Mia is someone who is always willing to put in the work to make all events a success.”
 
Pemberton knew a few Erie students from 4-H when she transferred to the school at the beginning of her freshman year. To further connect, she
went out for volleyball that fall, joined the school’s FFA organization and was elected treasurer of the incoming class.
 
Ever since, Pemberton’s penchant for active involvement has permeated Erie’s school organizations and athletic teams. Outside of school, she holds two part-time jobs and cares for livestock on her family’s 5-acre farm between Erie and Parsons.
 
“I love talking to people and I love being involved in as much as possible,” Pemberton said. “I feel I can make an impact on younger students, especially being an upperclassman.
 
“It’s not even really about the title. Many people do it for the title. I would prefer, even if I’m not an officer, to go out and help instead of just sit back and watch somebody else do it.”
 
Pemberton knows what it’s like to be sidelined, and she wasn’t particularly fond of it. She rolled an ankle during her junior volleyball season, an injury that put her in a walking boot through the early stages of basketball season. In the Red Devils’ first game after the holiday break, Pemberton tore her anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus.
 
“Junior year was rough,” said Pemberton, who is on Erie’s track team this spring. “It really made me miss that lifestyle. I didn’t know I would miss it as much as I did, but it really impacted me.
 
“I still went to all the games and track meets last spring, and was able to be like a manager. But sports was like my getaway. Not being able to do it kind of frustrated me.”
 
Pemberton found solace in additional time with her animals. A 4-H member since age 7, she shows hogs, sheep and goats.
 
“When I wasn’t able to go to practices, I really started to focus on my livestock and the showing part of 4-H,” Pemberton said. “I was spending more time at home out in the pens and getting the animals used to me being there.”
 
She has also assisted younger Hillcrest members like 11-year-old Easton Harris with 4-H market animal projects. Candace Harris, Easton’s mother and Erie High’s KAY Club sponsor, said Pemberton has frequently visited her home to assist Easton with the finer points of grooming and showing goats.
 
Harris has also witnessed Pemberton’s work in KAY Club, where she has served as president this year.
 
“I just feel like if there’s something she wants done, she does everything in her power to make it happen,” Harris said. “She’s out there doing the hard work and seeing the benefits of that. I’ve seen it time and time again.”
 
Determined to become a veterinarian since her early days in 4-H, Pemberton has found confirmation of that pursuit through one of her part-time jobs. In August, she began working at SEK Genetics, a veterinary clinic in Galesburg that specializes in reproductive services.
 
“It has definitely made me realize this is what I want to do,” said Pemberton, who also works at a coffee shop in Parsons. “Before I started working there, I was wondering if vet med really was for me. I am still open to pretty much anything in the field, but the reproduction side of it is what I would like to specialize in.”
 
Pemberton has supplemented that experience with her time in FFA, serving as the school chapter’s vice-president as a junior and a student sponsor this year. The organization has helped promote agriculture through events like kiddie barnyard days, where FFA members do presentations to elementary school children on livestock and other ag-related topics.
 
In addition to promoting all things FFA in her student sponsor role, Pemberton said she enjoys helping younger members gain a better understanding of the organization. It’s part of the legacy she’s proud to leave as her days at EHS come to a close.
 
“My mom (Kathryn) has always taught me to put others before myself and that’s just how I’ve grown up – to help others, especially through all of my experiences,” Pemberton said. “There’s a lot of shoes to fill next year with me and other seniors leaving. I’ve tried to help other kids get more opportunities and experience by being there but not being there, so to speak.”