‘Champion and role model’
Chrissie Camster has lived her entire 18 years in North Idaho, and lives with her grandparents, Paul and Helen Walizer. She has a great relationship with her older brother, Clint, and they often get together to play acoustic guitar.
“One of my favorite pastimes is hanging out with my brother. He’s just a really cool guy,” the Coeur d’Alene High School senior said. “Most people hate their brothers, but mine is awesome.”
Chrissie loves to draw and paint and enjoys clay sculpting when she can. With her green thumb she likes to raise vegetables in her garden. She proudly sings for her church, in the Traditional Latin Mass Choir, which practices Gregorian chants.
Her favorite classes in high school are Spanish IV, an International Baccalaureate class and her art class. She has maintained a 4.05 grade-point average in a rigorous college prep curriculum.
According to school counselor Pamela Asher, Chrissie “is a champion and role model for our student body, treating everyone with respect, dignity and unconditional, positive regard. She models kindness and humility wherever she goes.”
Chrissie’s mother Susan was a registered nurse who worked at Kootenai Medical Center, and Chrissie plans to follow her mother’s example. She’ll take her first two years at North Idaho College, then switch to Lewis-Clark State College for another two years.
“You can get the RN certification in two years, but I want to go four years,” she said. “You get better wages and more chances for advancement by taking four years.”
For her senior project, a program in which each senior does a “job shadow” with an eye toward a possible career, Chrissie chose to shadow nurses at KMC.
“I worked in the heart unit, and it was really fun. It’s so gratifying to help people and see a smile on their faces when you discharge them,” she said.
Chrissie spent 15 hours at the hospital, wrote a 10-page report and gave an 8-minute presentation on her chosen career to a panel of judges. After her training is complete, she plans to return to Kootenai Medical to work as a registered nurse.
“I just love helping people, and to help improve their quality of life is a real gift.”