Super Kid / Troy Kilburn, 18: Lake Stevens senior sees career teaching chemistry, coaching track
Published 3:16 pm Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tough schedule: Troy is taking advanced-placement biology and statistics, a University of Washington English class taught at the high school, honors contemporary world issues and physical education. He’s taken advanced placement classes since his sophomore year.
Science whiz: He took advanced placement chemistry as a sophomore and scored a 5, which is the equivalent of an A, on the test. He likes “all the cool reactions you can do and how things relate to everything else.”
Always running: Troy runs track and is a captain on the Viking cross-country team at Lake Stevens High School. He used to throw in the field events, but tried the 800-meter run once last year and won the junior varsity race. Now that’s his main event.
Color change: He followed a team tradition and dyed his brown hair blond before the state cross-country meet this fall.
Runner’s heart: “Running’s the biggest thing in my life. … It’s kind of taken over me. I eat better to run. I haven’t had pop in forever. Everything’s either training, buying clothes, buying shoes. I kind of think in terms of running, too.”
Scholarship: He received a $6,000 Regents Scholar scholarship award to Washington State University in Pullman.
College plans: He is applying to several colleges in Washington. He wants to stay in state because he plans to teach high school chemistry and wants to earn a Washington teaching certificate.
Learning to teach: “My grandpa’s a teacher and my mom taught. Teaching would allow me to coach cross-country and track.”
Helping out: Troy sometimes volunteers helping with multimedia presentations and landscaping at his church, Elim Lutheran in Lake Stevens.
Reading theology: Lately, he’s been reading books that blend theology and philosophy. He especially enjoys books by John Eldredge and C.S. Lewis.
Big brother: Lives with his parents, a younger brother and sister, and a dog named Cosmo. He likes being the oldest child. “It’s fun. You get a little bit more power than the rest, but that means the other two look up to you to solve their problems.”
Leadership roles: He’s the senior class secretary and treasurer and is the treasurer of the National Honor Society.
Traveling man: His favorite trips were to Colorado with his youth group in 2007 and the cross-country team’s annual trip to Richland. “That’s a fun trip to do, because you get the whole team to stay in one hotel and just hang out.”
Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or kmanry@heraldnet.com.
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