Emma Phelps is currently in the 12th grade, enrolled at Ripon High school. She was voted and announced senior class President this year in February.This will be her first year being the class President, behind two years of Vice President experience, as well as this being her third year in leadership. Despite all of the challenges the world has been facing, she promises to still put in her 100% effort into everything she does, and finally give the seniors a normal senior year experience. Due to Covid-19 that shut down the whole country last March, and much training about life and how it should be perceived, Emma gained a lot of knowledge and self awareness about how to live each day like it’s her last. She realized that there is more to life than just pleasing others and doing what makes other people happy. She decided along her journey of finding herself, that she should focus on what makes her happy, and not what makes other people happy. She started focusing on capturing each moment, through video, pictures, journaling, and quality time with the people she loves. She loves looking back at pictures or videos from a specific time in her life and reflecting on how important those moments were, and hopes to show her own children those same pictures some day. Capturing moments is a way to let people get a glimpse of your life without them necessarily being there. In a world full of uncertainty she says, “we never know when our last day on this earth will be, we never know what tomorrow holds, and we never know what could happen within seconds from each other, so why waste your time worrying, and living in the past. Capture and savor each moment so that others can look back at your history, and the life you lived”. Emma occupies her time with her favorite hobbies, doing what she loves. She is involved in ASB leadership, FFA, clubs at school, nannying, and raising her own cattle at home. She has also received a new job at the Ripon vet. She is currently working three times a week in the kennel maintenance area of the vet. Her day to day activities consist of taking care of the animals in the kennels, disinfecting all of the areas of the vet, being a support system for the vet techs, doing procedures such as nail clippings, acupuncture, and lasering, and closing down the vet each night. She says her favorite part about working there is “coming to work with a kennel full of new animals each day. Every day is different at the vet clinic, leaving you always on your toes.” Emma loves to also be a part of her brother and dad’s cattle business that was started 4 years ago. Going from 3 cows to now 13, it has sparked some interest in the veterinary world for Emma. She is not quite sure what she wants to do with her life, but she is currently researching and interested in large animal vets, or animal nutrition. Her favorite parts of raising cattle are obviously calving season, and the show days. She says, “nobody else knows the feeling of traveling to a cattle show unless you show cattle, but if you were to ask me what that feeling was, I couldn't tell you, I just know.” Out of the 13 cows that her family owns, she officially owns 3 of them, Honey Bunches, who is pregnant, Sugar, who is Honey Bunches heifer calf, and her steer that she will be showing in June 2022, Tug. Despite being a nanny, working at the vet and raising cattle, she also loves to travel, design spaces, go to church and to be the best person she possibly can. She says, “If I could have one wish in the world, it would have to be, to have a life just like Joanna Gaines. She lives on a farm, owns her own business, and has a big family.” After high school, Emma is not 100% sure what she wants to do, however, she is interested in going to college out of state, perhaps Oklahoma State. She says, “if you are thinking about moving out of state, college is the perfect time, if you hate it, you can always come back home. This is the only time you can live out of state without bringing your whole life with you.” One of Emma’s idols is Sadie Robertson, her favorite quote from her that she is inspired by is, “Just because we are waiting, does not mean that God isn’t working. He is preparing us for our purpose” She says, “in life we often hear, “just wait ``''it’ll come eventually” and “it will all plan out” but we often start to lose hope while waiting. As time passes we start to doubt our future, and wonder if it is really worth it.” This quote opened her eyes to visoning life from a different perspective. Emma says, “This quote reminds me of an audience waiting for a show to start. What they don’t see is the preparation it took before the show, and what is going on behind the curtain before it starts. But, what they do see is the curtains opening, as the show begins to unfold, tying all of the scenes together, with a happy ending. We all have a purpose, but some may take longer to unfold than others. God is always the one working behind the scenes, making sure everything happens at the right time.” Emma Phelps has focused on living the best life she possibly can, and being the best person she possibly can,while catching, documenting and reflecting on each milestone in her life because we are never promised another day.