Wyatt Wolf was a man in motion last week at Valley Center High School.
 
As head of the school’s student council executive board, Wolf, a senior, rolled out the welcome mat for area STUCO peers and their advisors who came to VCHS for the last of eight KSHSAA student council fall regional conferences across the state. Wolf’s day had started with a 5:45 a.m. text that a support technician was sick and unavailable to help with set-up for the half-day conference.
 
But after recruiting back-up help to remedy the situation, Wolf and his fellow Hornets were in smooth-running host mode. Outside the school, VCHS students navigated various colors of visiting school buses and vans to a reserved parking area. As attendees walked into the school, a line of VCHS STUCO representatives, cheerleaders, dance team members and the Hornet mascot enthusiastically greeted them.
 
Wolf welcomed approximately 450 guests and introduced Valley Center principal Eric Flaton, who in turn lauded Wolf during his remarks. After the keynote address by motivational speaker Kate Garnes, Wolf made sure Garnes had a snack and beverage prior to her second session on effective communication for students, which Wolf had a chance to settle into an auditorium seat and hear.
 
“It was definitely the biggest thing I’ve taken on so far,” said Wolf, the Capitol Federal® True Blue® Student of the Week. “I didn’t know we were hosting this until this summer when my advisor said, ‘By the way, we signed up for this.’ So I was like, ‘Great, we’ll get this figured out.’”
 
Had you told Wolf three summers ago that he would someday oversee the organization and operation of a regional STUCO conference, he probably wouldn’t have believed it. A class officer since his freshman year, Wolf admittedly was more focused on the scholarship and resume enhancements such titles could provide than the idea of serving fellow students.

 
Particularly when Valley Center STUCO supervisor Eugene Allyn recommended Wolf – who had just been elected sophomore class president – attend KSHSAA’s annual summer STUCO workshop at Emporia State University.
 
“I was kind of like, ‘Fine, whatever,’” Wolf said. “The entire drive I was thinking I don’t want to be here. Then we get there and first thing the door flies open and a bunch of people are screaming at us, asking our names and grabbing our bags.”
 
Wolf failed to embrace the workshop’s mission to discover what it takes to be a good leader. He was there in body, but not in spirit.
 
“I was trying to be too cool for school and just kind of carried that on the whole time I was there,” he said. “I’m not really an outgoing person. I love having conversations with folks, but people have to start them with me. The entire week, I was staying to myself, goofing around and not paying attention.
 
“I was honestly wasting an experience that would have been really great for me.”
 
When the workshop ended, junior counselors working the weeklong event gave attendees written notes, offering critiques of their participation. Wolf said the note he received suggested he had room to grow and encouraged him to put greater effort into his time on student council.
 
That note, which Wolf carried in his wallet, sparked a change in his attitude during the ensuing school year.
 
“I was working early in that school year, but still pretty resentful,” Wolf said. “But I pulled out that note one day and read it again, and I thought, ‘You can work a little harder.’ It started to shift my narrative from, ‘How can I use STUCO to help me?’ to ‘How can I help STUCO?’
 
“And I think that’s when I really dove into it and began working.”
 
Wolf, who is also actively involved in the school’s theater program, served as Valley Center’s junior class president last year and is the student body president this year. He attended KSHSAA’s summer STUCO workshop for the second time in July, and came away with a new perspective.
 
“I have known and worked with Wyatt the last four years, most closely the last three years in student council,” said Shelley Ballard, a Valley Center science teacher and STUCO advisor. “Over the last three years, I have seen Wyatt transform as a student leader. I have watched him become more confident and be more willing to take initiative rather than waiting for someone else to complete tasks.
 
“He has a ton of great ideas and is working hard this year to have STUCO work cooperatively with other groups.”
 
Wolf said he wouldn’t label himself as an organizer, crediting fellow STUCO officers Mia Meister and Reagan O’Donnell for their work on the recent regional conference. But Wolf oversaw the establishment of committees and made sure he was part of all group messages as Valley Center’s council planned last week’s event.
 
“They always have you take a color test at STUCO camp to see how you change over the years,” Wolf said. “I am a hard-core green, which means I like to know why we’re doing stuff and I like to make sure stuff gets done.
 
“We’re not going to have a list. We’re not going to know where everything is until the last minute. It’s going to be busy and a little messy, but it’s going to get done.”
 
Wolf has applied those personality traits as a thespian, enrolling in drama class on a whim as a freshman. He auditioned for Hornet Theatre’s fall play that year, landing an understudy role in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”.
 
The following spring, Wolf, despite having limited singing experience, landed a role in the musical “Godspell”. He and a good friend, Ben Randolph, performed the play’s “Light of the World” duet.
 
“And we butchered it,” Wolf said with a smile. “It’s a high tenor role and we’re both baritones.”
 
The experience motivated Wolf to work to develop his vocal talent. During his high school career, he has performed in VCHS productions of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream of the ’80s” and “The Addams Family” as well as Hornet Theatre’s One Act plays.
 
Wolf will play the role of King Sextimus the Silent – a mute character – in Valley Center’s fall play, “Once Upon A Mattress”. He has also worked behind the scenes on several productions, building sets and learning skills like sound board operations.
 
“It has been a joy to watch his confidence blossom from a student who was scared to sing on stage into an actor who willingly tries new things and commits himself fully to his part,” Valley Center drama instructor Amanda Jolly said. “His leadership is a tremendous asset to our program, and he can be counted on to pitch in wherever it is needed, whether that is building a set or leading warm-ups at rehearsal.
 
“He’s the type of person that you can turn to when you need a job done the right way, and I am so proud of him.”
 
Wolf has also been part of the school’s Hornet Studios broadcasting team, announcing basketball games last winter and football this fall for livestream telecasts. Like his STUCO and theater involvement, the experience gets better as time goes on.
 
“Theater has kind of become my niche,” Wolf said. “I do two big things in school – STUCO and theater – and that’s where everyone knows me from. Theater has become this second home of people who love you no matter what and they’re always there to help you.
 
“My siblings were really good athletes here, but I feel like I’ve paved my way and made my own spot. It’s really cool to be Wyatt.”