Sandpoint Elks Lodge No. 1376 has announced students of the month for January for Sandpoint High School.

To be selected as an Elks student of the month, Lake Pend Oreille School District students must meet guidelines for character, citizenship, service, scholarship and leadership.

The Elks actively seek to reward youth through many different programs including scholarship awards, Hoop Shoot tournaments, dictionary donations to third graders, drug awareness programs and many other activities and programs.

Sandpoint Elks Lodge award thousands of dollars in scholarships and local students also received an additional money in state and national Elk scholarships. The Elks are the third largest awarder of scholarships in the county and several students have received large scholarships from the state and national level of Elks.

Those selected are Kaya Wright and Nikolai Braedt.

Kaya Wright

The daughter of Erika and Alex Gray, Kaya is a senior at Sandpoint High School with a GPA of 4.3 and is currently ranked seventh in her class.

She was a member of the SHS varsity swim team for four years. Kaya was a four-year state meet qualifier and a member of the 2019 state championship squad. This year, she completed her senior year with a second-place finish at the abbreviated Idaho State Championship in the 100-yard backstroke and was a member of the first-place medley relay team.

Kaya also participates in the National Honor Society and the SHS Math Club. This year, she completed the nursing program at SHS and received her certified nursing assistant certification. She is certified in CPR, lifeguarding, and as a swimming instructor.  After school she works as a lifeguard at the YMCA, teaches swim lessons, and coaches the pre-competitive group on the SHARKS swim team.

In her free time, she is an outdoor all season enthusiast, spending time with her family and friends. Next year Kaya will attend Western Washington University majoring in biochemistry.

Nikolai Braedt

The son of Rich Braedt and Kirsten Braedt, Nikolai is a senior at Sandpoint High School.

Nikolai has been a team captain of the cross country and track teams for two years. He has the cross country school record and plans to set more records this upcoming 2021 track season.

While holding this leadership role, Nikolai has maintained a 4.167 GPA as he continues to challenge himself with a full AP class load, and is 26th in his class. He has participated in clubs such as Interact, Earth Club, and National Honors Society as he strives to help the community and the environment.

After high school he will be attending the University of Hawaii at Hilo to study marine biology and environmental sciences.