Ayden Lee West- Senior Spotlight
Launch the media gallery 1 playerAyden Lee West was born in Glendale, Arizona on November 28, 2003. He is the son of Joseph and Pamela Safago and Nick and Tenneil Rickman. His siblings are Thomas, Tonya, Joseph III, and Abigail. Ayden began primary school in Arizona and came to Lawrence/Nelson for his junior and senior years. While living in Arizona, he volunteered at the Chandler Public Library for two years and enjoyed doing other volunteering efforts with the Boy Scouts. Some of his favorite childhood memories include building a swing set with his family at his childhood home in Chandler, hiking mountain trails, and swimming in desert lakes.
Ayden has been working at D&D’s in Nelson and says “I have learned a lot about responsibility, scheduling, and how to work hard.” While attending school in Nelson, his favorite classes have been History, Math, and Shop. Extracurricular activities Ayden has been competing in include Quiz Bowl, Cross Country, and Track. In January of 2020, Ayden’s NCAPS presentation was featured in Rural Electric Nebraskan magazine. He is an Honor Roll student at L/N and has worked diligently to maintain an Honor Roll GPA in his college classes at Sandy Creek. He will be a Certified Nursing Assistant upon graduation.
He gives credit to his parents for making the biggest impact on his life. “They are always there for me and encourage me to do well in all that I do.” When asked about his future plans, He says “I do not know for sure where I will be in ten years, but I do know that I will be productive.”
Ayden recently traveled to Omaha and performed exceptionally on the ASVAB test. On February 19, 2021, he enlisted and was sworn into the United States Marine Corps. He intends to pursue a degree, as well as, occupational-related education while enlisted. The advice that Ayden offers for underclassmen is, “Every step you take is a step forward… unless it lowers your grade.”