Keeping Her Head Above Water -- Marysville Whirlwind Earns Scholarship

MARYSVILLE - Heidi Dunn lives just five minutes from Marysville-Pilchuck High School.

That allows Dunn to spend most of her day on campus, going to class, tending to her student-government duties and attending swim practice.

She also teaches swim lessons for two hours each night at the school's pool before going home. After doing homework, she finally calls it a day around midnight, only to be back at school by 7:15 the following morning.

"I go to school all day, then it's off to practice, then I dash home for dinner, then it's off to work, then I go home and do my homework, then I go to bed," said Dunn, who swims the backstroke, breaststroke and individual medley.

Dunn spends 10 minutes a day driving back and forth from school to home for dinner. That's 50 minutes a week. That's more than three hours per month that could be better spent doing homework or planning homecoming activities or . . .

"I should rent a trailer and live next to the school," she said. "I live at the high school, basically."

Dunn has placed in the top six at districts the past three years, although she's never qualified for state. A good high-school athletic career, for sure.

But her athletic exploits are overshadowed by her other school achievements. An outstanding student, Dunn is active in clubs and student government as well as swimming.

Dunn's excellence as a student-athlete was recognized when she won a $10,000 college scholarship last month. Dunn won the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association's "Believers and Achievers" competition.

"I couldn't believe I won it," Dunn said. "I thought for sure someone else won because there were so many great finalists."

Dunn has a 3.97 cumulative grade-point average, having received two A-minuses. She plans to attend Washington State University and major in education.

"I've known the Cougar fight song since I was 4," she said.

Dunn is the student body president at Marysville-Pilchuck. She was sophomore class vice president, junior class president and has attended seminars on leadership in Colorado and Delaware.

Dunn doesn't want to pursue a career in politics (she's too nice for that). She wants a career in education. Her mother, Jody, is a teacher at Cascade Elementary.

Dunn wants to become a high-school administrator, "and eventually become a superintendent."

She has been in almost every club with an acronym at M-P - FHA (Future Homemakers of America), SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving) and DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education).

She's also in the Latin Club, Assemblies Committee and Big Buddy program. She works on the annual senior citizens dinner in February, the blood drive and school assemblies. She's involved with her church youth group.

Dunn was voted junior class girl of the year, and was named senior girl of the month for September.

Whew!

There have to be some flaws. OK, so she chews her fingernails. And her room gets messy (she spent five hours on a recent Saturday cleaning it).

Speaking of messy, that describes the notebook in which Dunn keeps her schoolwork. Marysville-Pilchuck swim coach Cindy Whitehead, who has Dunn in a math analysis class, marvels at the notebook.

"I just look at it and shake my head," Whitehead said. "Somehow, she knows where everything is. She's always on top of things."

Dunn insists there isn't a secret to her filing system.

"All I know is math is kind of in the back, and English is somewhere in the middle," she said.

Even one of her flaws is a strength. Dunn doesn't write down her appointments, and admits she needs to do that in the future. But somehow, some way, she remembers them all.

Dunn motors through her busy day with an energy that looks like it's driven by espresso.

It would be nice if Dunn could take a few minutes to sit back and just enjoy her senior year.

Maybe she could cut back on her activities?

"It would drive me nuts if I wasn't busy," she said. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Girls swimmers to watch

WESCO AAA Paulette Bleha, Jr., Shorewood - Valuable member of three relay teams. Lindsay Buroker, Sr., Edmonds-Woodway - District champ in 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke has been to state past three years. Misti Moore, Sr., Marysville-Pilchuck - Placed 14th at state last year in diving; also swims butterfly. Kari O'Connor, Sr., Mountlake Terrace - Butterfly and freestyle swimmer will provide leadership for the young Hawks. Debbie Poier, So., Snohomish - Should be among top freestylers in league. Jolene Sturdefant, Sr., Cascade - Placed 15th at state in 100 freestyle last year. Heidi Tronson, Jr., Everett - Placed 12th at state in 500 freestyle as a sophomore.

WESCO AA Nancy Byun, So., Lynnwood - Placed 12th at state in 100 freestyle as a freshman. Faye Liming, Fr., Shorecrest - Set meet record in 500 freestyle and 200 IM at Shoreline Invitational. Erin Giddings, Sr., Lake Stevens - Placed 16th at state in 200 IM last year. Suzie Muirhead, So., Kamiak - Has been impressive this season for the Knights. Jessica Prentice, Jr., Meadowdale - Competed in district last year, should be one of top swimmers in freestyle sprints and butterfly. Megan Reha, Jr., Bainbridge - Probably the best and most verastile swimmer in WesCo. Dangerous in IM (second at state last year), breaststroke (third in state), freestyle and backstroke.