Senior Aaron Dicks enjoyed giving back to the community and serving in leadership positions during his years at Whitefish High School.

He will graduate with his class on Saturday and move to Bozeman in August for college at Montana State University where he intends to study biochemistry.

“I’d like to go to med school after that to become an ER physician, hopefully. You get to help a lot of people and give back,” Dicks explained.

He was a proud member of the Bulldog soccer team that won the state championship four years in a row and was the captain of the team during his senior year. He calls that team’s accomplishment “a dream come true.”

In the winter, he swam for the high school team that won the state championship when he was a sophomore and served as a captain along with three of his teammates during his junior and senior years.

“I remember from my freshman and sophomore years, getting to see all the upperclassmen, all the seniors getting to do their part, so it's just really nice for me to get to do that and get to lead the younger guys,” he said.

Springtime found Dicks on the tennis courts for four years and he also handled the captain duties this year. He said the team earned second place in the state tournament last year and they were gunning for first this year — which they accomplished last weekend.

“It’s a big honor; I’m honored to get to lead the team,” he said. “I like to think I lead by example. I always try to be responsible on the courts and off the courts. I always take practice seriously. Having fun is one thing but we’re out here to win.”

AARON, ALONG with his two older brothers Denver and Kelvin, and his parents Kendra and Clyde, moved from North Carrollton, Texas, to Whitefish about 10 years ago. Aaron loves fishing with his dad in the summer and taking part in almost every outdoor activity Montana has to offer. He credits his family with providing the support he needs to succeed.

“I'd like to give a big shout out to my parents and all the coaches I’ve had throughout the years, to my brothers and all my friends because I wouldn’t be anywhere near the manchild I am today without them supporting me, lifting me up, helping me,” Dicks said with a smile.

When Dicks was younger, he would listen to his dad strumming a guitar and playing songs on the family’s patio. The COVID-19 pandemic gave him the time to learn a new skill.

“Over Covid, I got kinda bored sometimes so I picked it up and just started playing,” he said. ”I learned a Johnny Cash song my dad really likes, ‘I Walk the Line.’”

Dicks’ ability to maintain his laid back attitude while achieving at a high level is unique and refreshing. While he is not interested in bragging, he also is careful not to downplay his accomplishments.

“Something our National Honor Society does is, if you get seven semesters straight with a 4.0, you get this gold W that goes on a letterman’s jacket,” he said. “I don’t have one, but if I did, it’d be cool.”

That gold W is getting very crowded with all his pins for sports and for NHS honors.

Dicks performed several hours of volunteer work in Whitefish as a member of the National Honors Society. He spent time cleaning up the roadside on Big Mountain Road, volunteering at the food bank and helping the Flathead Rapids soccer team at Smith Fields. He said he liked that particular job because he had played with the Rapids throughout middle school and that was where he developed his passion for soccer.

“I’ve really enjoyed giving back to this community,” he said. “It’s done so much for me through the school, through sports teams and club teams that I’ve been on. It's really nice to give back.”

Additionally, Dicks was the student body representative for the Whitefish School Board. This two-year position required him to attend all the school board meetings and meet with the principals on a monthly basis. He gave short speeches to the board about student activities and liked to use a bit of humor when delivering his presentations.

After working two jobs this summer to earn cash because, as Dicks put it, being a teenager can be expensive, he will room with his good friend Liam Mayo at MSU and start studying again in the fall. When he thinks about his high school days, he says it is the relationships he’s forged that he values the most.

“It’s been really fun but I think the things that I'm going to remember are the sports and, of course, the friendships and the connections I have with my family. It's the relationships I'm going to remember in high school,” he stated. “Not necessarily the studying for tests and quizzes and doing the homework. That’s part of it. But it's not the stuff I've most enjoyed. But I am really proud of the work I've put in for years and years. I’m grateful for that.”