Junior Payton Hehr rattles minds by exposing that he is the only boy in the student council, prom committee, and FCCLA. But there’s a catch – he’s not just the only boy, he’s also the president of all three student organizations.
“He’s our only guy… I never thought of that before,” Hehr’s FCCLA Advisor Heidi Mack realized.
Hehr likes to keep busy. He is the president of the student council, the 2026 prom committee, and FCCLA. He is also the Secretary for Club America and the Co-Design Editor of the HiHerald. Outside of clubs, Hehr takes multiple AP courses, performs in several school theatre productions and holds a part-time barista position at Caribou.
“He is heavily involved in everything, and whatever he’s involved in, he’s giving it 100%,” Mack said.
To start Hehr’s morning, he wakes up at 4 A.M and gets ready to start his 5 A.M shift at Caribou. At 7 A.M, Hehr ends his shift and heads over to the career academy for his early bird graphic design class. From there, he continues his school day and attends all his classes. After he’s done with classes at 3:38 P.M., he then attends theatre rehearsal until 6:00 P.M. He wraps the night up with homework. Hehr will sneak in club meeting events before school or after rehearsals.
“Somehow, I get enough sleep, and I’m still in three APs and all these clubs, but I think I manage them wisely enough that it allows me to be a part of all of them, and I can do it without drowning,” Hehr explained.
Although Hehr is known by so many students because of his important role in the school’s community, Hehr has not always been outspoken or outgoing. Over the span of a few years, Hehr has built strong communication skills and the ability to speak on things he would like to improve or change.
“Thinking back to middle school, he was kind of quieter. It’s cool seeing him grow into being more confident and comfortable with being a leader in his clubs,” Mack said.
Leading so many groups could seem daunting to other high schoolers, but to Hehr, it’s exactly what he wants to do. He loves to be involved in what he can voice his opinion on, and he loves to constantly have something going on.
“It comes with risks like being overwhelmed, being stressed out,” Hehr admitted. “But I’ve learned that I kind of like the stress because when I don’t have something to stress about, I feel like I’m missing something, so it kind of distracts me from missing things.”
A booked schedule is worth it to Hehr because of the communities he gets to grow in. He appreciates the time he puts into extracurriculars because he gets to be with people he enjoys.
“All my other clubs do the same thing. I just feel like they’re all separate little families that I can go to and that I have throughout the year,” Hehr said. “I want the best for the club, and I want the best for the people in the club.”
After graduation, Hehr wants to pursue a major in design. Because Hehr is so greatly involved with school organizations, he’s confident that his heavy resume will help him get into a nice college.
“Being a part of HiHerald has made me discover that I want to be a designer of some sort, and all my other classes have led me to discover that I want to lead in whatever field I’m in,” Hehr said. “I’ve been searching for a college that really challenges me, and I want to have the best career that I can.”
Because Hehr is the only boy in the clubs that he leads, he has the potential to catch the attention of college admissions.
“I feel like I stand out more because I’m the only boy – it looks good on a college resume.”
Hehr encourages others to get out of their comfort zones and join new extracurriculars. He believes community is important for any student.
“Don’t be shy,” Hehr said. “If you have an opinion about something, join the club and share your opinion so that it gets changed to your liking.”