Iola graduate ready for next challenge

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Local News

May 6, 2019 - 10:21 AM

Cole Regehr will graduate from Iola High School with a 4.0 grade-point average. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Cole Regehr likes a challenge. 

His favorite classes at Iola High School are history and science, with teachers that push him to do his best. He competes in sports including cross country, track and basketball; his favorite is cross country, which tests his strength and endurance. He grew up on a farm, fighting the elements and challenges that come with agriculture in order to help his family.

Then there’s the competition between Cole and his older brother, Chase.

Chase graduated two years ago as salutatorian, earning just one B in his high school career. So, of course, Cole had to do better. He earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. He’ll graduate Saturday as one of six valedictorians with the IHS Class of 2019.

“That’s what motivated me,” Cole said, laughing about the need to one-up his brother. “We’re so close. We’re just competitive.”

But even though Cole may have bested Chase when it came to the grades race don’t expect him to rub it in his brother’s face: “I don’t want to make him mad. He’s stronger than me.”

The healthy competition encourages the brothers to do their best, a lesson that comes from their parents, Brian and Shellie Regehr. Brian is a farmer and Shellie works at Allen Community College.

“They want the best for me and always pushed me to be better,” Cole said.

Perhaps that’s why Cole lists his favorite classes as those with history teacher Travis Hermstein. World History and American History were the hardest classes he’s taken. 

“It just makes you feel better about yourself when you do well in a hard class like that,” he said. 

In November, Cole took part in the Taiwan Youth Exchange Program. He toured Asian farms to see how food is grown on smaller land areas with radically warmer temperatures, with emphasis on genetically modified crops. His brother, Chase, attended the same program in 2016. 

The trip gave him an opportunity to learn about the role of agriculture in another part of the world. Once he returned home though, Cole faced more challenges. He missed 10 days of school, including college algebra, and had to push himself to catch up.

It’s not easy to balance school work, sports, church (he attends Wesley United Methodist Church) and various other extra-curricular activities, as well as helping with farm chores. Cole said his biggest challenges were finishing homework at 1 a.m. after coming home from a late basketball game. Things like sleep and spending time with friends must be sacrificed.

“It just takes a lot of work. A lot of hours studying and reading notes and doing homework on the weekend when I wanted to be with friends,” he said. “I like working hard. If I do something, I might as well do it the best I can. It’s a lot more hard work than talent.”

 

LIKE HIS brother, Cole plans to attend Kansas State University and study agriculture business. He also plans to join the same fraternity as his brother.

And like he has throughout their lives, Chase will help his little brother. He’s already been a big help when it came to things like scheduling his classes next fall. Cole plans to take advantage of his big brother’s guidance and is looking forward to meeting new friends. He won’t play sports in college, which will give him time to focus on schoolwork and activities. 

He’s grateful for the challenges he’s faced to this point, both academically and otherwise. He believes he’ll be better prepared for college because of it. 

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