Kettle Moraine High School senior Kaitlin Swanson was involved in at least 10 extracurricular activities during her high school days, but her mother’s battle with cancer inspired her to pursue medical school. Here, she poses with some of the protein cell models built by her SMART team project, which allowed her to research for two years under the guidance of Dr. Joseph Barbieri of the Medical College of Wisconsin. She will attend the University of Chicago in the fall.

WALES - High school students are always thankful for a snow day, but when Kettle Moraine High School closed for a day last winter, senior Kaitlin Swanson could not help but worry about an off-campus mock trial practice planned for the next day.

"Kaitlin got a hold of everybody’s phone number to remind them about it," said mock trial coach and English teacher Claudia Caves. "It didn’t occur to me to call them, but Kaitlin did."

Finding and calling 22 phone numbers is only a glimpse into the ambitious life of the graduating senior.

Swanson was one of two high school girls in Waukesha County to be named a Young Woman of Tomorrow, an honor that recognizes all-around excellence.

And Swanson has immersed herself in a little bit of everything, participating in mock trial, Key Club, student senate, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Human Relation Coalition and the SMART (Students Modeling a Research Topic) team. She is also active in soccer, track and field, and cross country.

Swanson is also the president of DECA, a student business organization. She has competed at the national marketing competition all three years of her involvement. DECA coach Joe Dellis has seen her evolve from a shy, studious sophomore into a well-rounded leader.

"She just threw herself out there. Regardless of what was going to happen, she just tried it," he said. "Seeing her now as a young lady three years later, she’s come full circle."

But it is the medical field that hit closest to home for Swanson.

"My mom was diagnosed with cancer in second grade, so I spent a lot of time in the hospital," Swanson said. "It opened my eyes to the medical field and inspired me to become a doctor."

For the last two years, Swanson has participated in the school’s SMART program, researching food toxins and protein models under the guidance of Dr. Joseph Barbieri of the Medical College of Wisconsin.

She will head off to the University of Chicago in fall with plans to study biology and go on to medical school.

Her big heart is evident by her contributions to society. Swanson has volunteered in a wide range of projects through her church and the school’s Key Club. She has sorted clothes at Goodwill, shadowed mentally ill employees and spent time with senior citizens in the Alzheimer’s disease unit at the Wisconsin Masonic Home in Dousman. Her church took a mission trip to Florida, where they led a children’s camp.

Swanson received the Brady Corp.’s Academic All-Star Award and was recently nominated for Principal Tanya Kotlowski’s leadership award. Her Laser school spirit earned the Dick Ohm Merit Award.