Achievements: Academic Achievement Award freshman, sophomore and junior years. She has been a member of the National Honor Society her junior and senior years. Active in all types of band at Wayne, serving as each band's first chair or section leader her junior and senior years.
Activities: Along with band, she has been active in Latin Club, receiving awards at the state convention her sophomore year. She participated in Chess Club her first two years at Wayne and has served as a mentor to freshman students her last two years. Community service has included helping stage an annual community Halloween party at Wayne for young children and helping clean up the backyard of a band staff member who died unexpectedly.
Comments: “Kayleigh represents the science category with a passion for becoming the best she can be,” Sterling Sentinel judge Mark Hopewell said.
“In my 10 years of teaching biology, I have had many students who excelled, but none have shown such a love for the idea of ‘why?'” said Pete Luessenhop, who teaches biology and mathematics at Wayne.
Plans: Nyffeler plans to earn bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in biochemistry before beginning a career as a research biochemist.