Emelyn Carpenter of Andover Central High School is as tough and brave as they come. During her freshman and sophomore years Carpenter had two major hip surgeries due to being born with mild bilateral hip dysplasia. She traveled to St. Louis for both surgeries, but each time the medical team was uncertain if she would fully recover to the same level of dancing she was before the surgery. Today the senior is a member of the varsity dance team and is back to performing at a high level.
“I started dancing when I was three years old and have been doing it for 15 years,” said Carpenter. “My teammates never fail to make me laugh. I truly have made some of my best friendships through dance and I appreciate them all every day.”
During her time at Andover Central, Carpenter has made many great memories with her teammates.
“My favorite memory from dance team over the years is going for coffee with my teammates after 6am practices. It always gave me motivation to get up in the morning and it was truly a bonding experience that I really looked forward to,” said Carpenter.
Now she is preparing to attend college at Kansas State University where she will major in nursing.
“The plan right now is to become a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) in the future,” said Carpenter.
