Rodriguez, Huttemier 2023 Triple ‘A’ winners

Waseca Public Schools recently announced Christian Rodriguez and Cecelia Huttemier as winners of the Triple 'A' Awards for 2023. The Triple 'A' Award, also known as the Academics, Arts, and Athletics Award, is given to high school seniors who maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) while participating in Minnesota State  High School League-sponsored athletic and fine arts activities.

Recipients of these honors are selected by building administration. For the Triple 'A' Award, a list of eligible seniors is provided by the Minnesota State High School League.

Winning this award at the school district level also qualifies recipients to be considered at higher levels. Rodriguez won at the Region 2A Subsection 5 level and was one of four finalists for the Region 2A award. Rodriguez and Huttemier will be honored at the annual Student and Staff Recognition Ceremony held mid-May.

Rodriguez participates in football, wrestling, track and field, choir, State Street show choir and the male sextet, and student council; he is also a member of the Minnesota Honor Society. He is the son of Debbie and Nathan Rodriguez and has two older siblings, Hunter and Gabriella, and a younger sister, Reese. “I was super excited to hear that I had gotten the Triple 'A',” he says, “Just because I felt like I'd been working hard to try to maintain a really high standard, and I think that it feels a bit worth it to see myself winning awards like this.” He says his academic success sometimes comes as a surprise to people, when they see the depth of his determination. Actually,  he believes his “natural” level as a student is average; it's hard work that has propelled him to excellence. “AP classes are a bit more challenging,” he says, “but it was worth it.” Rodriguez enjoys spending time casually with his friends, talking football with his brother and wrestling with his dad, and listening to acoustic guitar and piano music. After graduation, he'll be attending Gustavus Adolphus College to play football and pursue a degree in Computer Science, which he hopes to use in a design or engineering role that will allow him to make new discoveries. “I'm very appreciative of an award like this,” he said, “and there are a lot of people in my life I would like to thank – friends and family, and close individuals – for helping make it possible for me to reach this kind of success.”

Huttemier is in tennis, hockey, choir, show choir and the female sextet, Spanish club, and student council and is part of the Minnesota Honor Society. She started playing her sports as a child, joined the choir in junior high school, and gradually added her other activities throughout high school. She joined the student council last year at the urging of Brenda Nelson, the group’s advisor. “I wanted to get more involved in the school.” She says she particularly enjoys working on spirit week projects. Huttemier's dad, John, is the principal at Waseca Intermediate School and her mom, Kristi, is a school psychiatrist in the district. She has an older brother, Charlie, who is a sophomore in college and a younger brother, Henry, who is in eighth grade. “I was pretty surprised,” she says about winning the Triple 'A' Award. “I guess I never thought about it. I'm in all three – Academics, Athletics and Arts. To combine them is pretty cool, to be recognized. It was definitely not on my radar.” Huttemier is outgoing in most settings, but also enjoys being at home. She loves cooking and baking in her spare time, and going on walks. After graduation, Huttemier plans to attend St. Olaf College for Biology or Environmental Science, hopefully with a minor in Spanish. Low enrollment in Spanish this year meant the class had to be held online, and she says she is looking forward to being in a formal class again. She doesn't know yet what she'd like to do with her degree, and suspects she may change her major at some point during college, calling herself indecisive. “I would like to thank the people who have helped me along the way,” Huttemier said in closing, “Coaches, and teachers, and choir directors. And my parents – obviously they've supported me through all three.”