Marshalltown High School senior Shakira Herrera is planning to study nursing at Luther College in Decorah this fall. She is the recipient of a Dean’s Scholarship from Luther.
Herrera plans to study nursing, participate on swim team at Luther College
Marshalltown High School senior Shakira Herrera said she is going through some mixed emotions as she nears graduation. She said she is excited and a little nervous about what’s next for her, which will be attending Luther College in Decorah.
“I’m really excited to go to Luther, but I’m going to miss Marshalltown and the high school,” Herrera said.
Herrera plans to major in nursing with a minor in Spanish at Luther, where she was recently named a recipient of a prestigious Dean’s Scholarship.
Her interest in nursing stems from the love of helping people and also enrolling in Project Lead the Way classes at MHS, such as Biomedical Sciences, Human Body Systems and Medical Interventions. Those classes are taught by Erica Malloy at MHS and help make Marshalltown a state leader in STEM offerings.
“She’s a really good teacher,” Herrera said of Mrs. Malloy. “She connects with the students.”
Mrs. Malloy indicated the feeling is mutual.
“Shakira is a wonderful student to have in class,” Malloy said. “She is a hard worker, always has a positive attitude, and gave me 100 percent effort every day I had her in class. I am excited to see what the future holds for her.”
Herrera is the senior class president and remains busy in other activities such as the National Honor Society, as a Student Rotarian and the MHS swim team, where she qualified for the state meet in two different years. She will also plan to swim on the Luther College team.
While she will leave Marshalltown to focus on her future later this year, she will always look forward to coming back to the community she loves so much.
“It truly is home,” Herrera said.
