The Menomonie Optimist Club led off the new year by honoring Olive Yonko, a senior at Menomonie High School, as the January Youth of the Month. Optimists have honored seniors from Dunn County’s high schools each month for over 30 years.
Olive Yonko’s range of school involvement is both wide and deep. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Club, Student Council and currently serves as vice president of the graduation committee. Olive is captain of the Forensics team and has played on both the soccer and gymnastics teams at Menomonie High School.
Teachers note her willingness to help new students, and especially students from other countries, to acclimate and feel comfortable at Menomonie High School. Olive is focused on a career in Animal Science, which she plans to study at the University of Minnesota, leading to a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Olive is the daughter of Gretchen Yonko and Richard Yonko…