The term academic weapon is used to describe a student who works very hard in school and does well. While there are many at MHS one of the most prominent is a smiley, happy, and hard-working lady. Ever since a young age, Anneliese Poppe, MHS junior, otherwise known as Liesie, life has been centered around her academics. School runs deep in her family, her mom, Mrs. Jillian Poppe is a well-known teacher in the Muscatine Community School District.
“In second grade, I started getting moved up to higher math classes, but my mom didn’t want me to skip a grade,” Liesie shared, “By the time I got to kindergarten, I was reading chapter books. My mom always had us play counting games.”
While having external motivation from her mom at an early age, Liesie has not gotten burnt out from her workload at school. One of her biggest motivations is her future and setting herself up for success.
“I would say just like the idea that I’m just doing it so I can get into any college that I want,” Liesie said. “I feel like that would be so validating and fulfilling and I worked so hard so it is not worth it to throw away for a year of slacking off isn’t worth it.”
As far as future plans go, Liesie wants to use her knowledge in engineering, her dad’s career, so she took some inspiration from him.
“I want to go into engineering and I think I’m gonna go in-state because I will graduate with no student loans,” Liesie said. “And then once I graduate, I want to work right away and I want to live in Muscatine.”
She has strived for academic validation her whole life but does not want the same for her future kids.
“My goal is not to be on them for academics as much because I don’t want them to be as stressed out as I am all the time,” said Liesie,
Although next year ideally will be more laid back for Liesie, she will continue to work hard as she goes into college.
“I see myself graduating from Iowa State and I want to graduate with honors in college, even though it’s hard,” Liesie said. “My dad said I should be a chemical engineer, they make a lot of money, and as a woman in STEM you can get many cool opportunities.”
Right now is her more chill span of school, after Pom officially ended in February, she has a bit more free time to do what she wants to do. When she is really busy it gets tough to do everything she has to while also allowing time for herself.
“I overwhelm myself, during pom season, I’m always stressed out.” Liesie shared, “I wake up at five in the morning, go to pom, get ready, come to school, and take all my AP classes all day, and then I work every single day after school. So I’m not home until six, every night. And then I’m doing homework, and then just personal life on top of that, and balancing my relationships.”
Advice that she would give younger students:
“I would say to try to seriously take every opportunity that you can. Working hard in your first couple of years of high school, so you can have a laid-back senior year. I filled my schedule, freshman year, and sophomore year and it’s benefiting me now, so I don’t have to work as hard next year.
Liesie is one of the hardest working people at the high school, she balances many AP classes, the Pom team, and friendships, while also being a friendly face to talk to.
