North Star sports two Academic Heisman finalists

Hard work and excellence in athletics and academics propelled two North Star High School students onto the state finalist list of a national scholarship program.

Seniors Peytan King and Devon Miller, each 17, made it in the top 20 Montana finalists in the Wendy's High School Heisman scholarship program.

Students from Charlo and Forsyth ultimately won the state finals.

King and Miller each said they found out about the scholarship opportunity from their guidance counselor.

The 22-year-old program makes scholarships available to students who excel in the classroom, on the field and in the community. Students must have a 3.0 GPA or better, and must perform in at least one of the 47 school-sponsored sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games or the National Federation of State High School Associations to qualify.

King and Miller made it past the first two stages of the application process.

In the first phase, students provided information about their academic performance, athletic achievements and community involvement. Phase 2 of the application included essay questions that gave students a chance to provide information about those achievements.

Miller said the essay portion prompted him to think about and assess more deeply why he participates in sports and academics and what it means to him.

"It's something you don't think about often," Devon said.

He took a five-minute break from his ACT testing Thursday morning to talk about the scholarship opportunity and his future goals.

Miller plays football and basketball and runs track and field. He said he likes basketball the best because he's been doing it the longest.

In addition to sports, Miller said he spends time volunteering to clean the park and cleaning ditches with his church youth group.

He applied for the Wendy's Heisman, he said, because he wouldn't mind a little financial help with college. The son of wheat farmers, the kernel didn't fall far from the stem. Devon plans on going to Montana State University in Bozeman and learn to be an agronomist.

King said she is not sure about what she wants to study in college, or where she wants to go to college. She is considering MSU, University of Montana in Missoula and Idaho State, who all have good sport programs, she said.

"They're just far enough, but I'm able to come home when I want," Peytan said.

What she is sure of, she said, is that she wants to go in the health performance or physical therapy field because she loves sports and wants to be around them one way or another.

King has been the class president for all four years of her high school career. In addition to volleyball, basketball and track and field, she has also managed to get involved in SkillsUSA, FCCLA - Family, Career and Community Leaders of America -  and Business Professionals of America.

"I just kind of shove it all in," Peytan said.

She is the third of seven siblings, and she said she likes the idea that her siblings, like students at school, see her efforts and may be inspired to work hard and try their best.