Olivia Gehrich is a middle child who is in the middle of several community and school events.

Gehrich is the daughter of Dave and Angie Gehrich. She has a younger brother, Nick, and an older sister, Megan. Her family lived in St. Paul until she was six. The Gehrichs have lived in Lake Santee since then.

Gehrich is a senior at North Decatur High School. She is a member of Speech Team, Language Club, English Academic Team, National Honor Society, the Senior Executive Committee, Drama Club and ND Singers. She is the ND Singers Alto Section Leader as well as all choirs’ President. She is taking a solo, quartet and group song to ISSMA with ND Singers on Feb. 6. She has been in four musicals and is currently rehearsing for her second play with the Drama Club. Gehrich was in the cast of “Guys and Dolls”, “Bye Bye Birdie”, “Music Man”, “Anything Goes” and “Our Town”. The current play is called “Circus Olympus”. Her favorite musical was “Music Man” because it had one of the best casts; she had a good character; and it was funny, great and well-known. She loved having a lead role in “Anything Goes” also.

Gehrich is involved in the arts outside of school too. She has seen the “Nutcracker”, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, “Phantom of the Opera” and “The Lion King” live.

Greensburg can hear Gehrich on the radio every Sunday night live with her father, Dave, and C.J. Adams. They discuss topics from reality TV to wisdom. One radio show about love is coming up.

For fun, Gehrich tries to make time to watch movies, sing, play board games, eat goods from her Easy Bake Oven and hang out with friends. She sings and attends youth group at St. Maurice, watches Criminal Minds and Cake Boss and plays with her dog Webster. She enjoys painting, but hardly has a moment to pick up a paintbrush.

“I like to sleep because then I am accountable for nothing. I am just sleeping,” Gehrich admitted.

Last year, Gehrich was recommended to represent North Decatur at Indiana Girls’ State. She spent a week at Indiana State University with more than 600 girls to learn about their government system, leadership skills and Americanism, as well as make new friends. It focused on politics and how government works. The girls set up parties and cities with elected offices. They wrote bills, and any that got passed by the houses and signed by their elected governor got sent to the actual governor of Indiana.

“White lines on the side of most roads originated from a Girls’ State law,” she mentioned as a fact. “It was definitely an honor to be chosen. Girls’ State was an unforgettable experience. I was head of the election board and a clerk in the house. We toured the state house and held our house and senate sessions there. I met tons of other amazing girls and gained a new perspective on exactly what being an American means. I still talk to several of the girls. There were three Olivia’s on my floor alone.”

Her college plans will most likely be Marian. She has already been accepted there, but she has not made a final decision. She will possibly major in English Education, but knows for sure her minor will be in Theater and Music Performance.

“In the future, maybe I will be a high school English teacher, but I’m really just exploring what I want. A future plan is the most frequently asked question for high school seniors, when the real question should be ‘Are you happy?’ and ‘Can you stay happy with the decisions you are making’,” Gehrich explained of her future goals.

Right now, she is focused on the near future more than the distant future. Gehrich is excited for singing at ISSMA, performing “Circus Olympus”, speech meets, a Catholic senior retreat, prom and graduation.