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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Freeman senior Veronica Keizer learned ‘life is precious’ and is eager for future

Veronica Keizer will graduate from Freeman High School. (Kathy Plonka / The Spokesman-Review)
By Joe Everson For The Spokesman-Review

Everything can change. That’s something everyone, young or old, will learn at some point in their lives. Freeman High School senior Veronica Keizer – Ronni – learned it when her life had barely begun.

Her mother died from complications during Ronni’s birth, so her maternal grandparents took on the responsibility of raising Ronni and her sister, now 22.

“My family dynamic is different from most others,” she said. “My grandparents became like my mother and father. They had two sons of their own who were quite a bit older than me.

“I respect my grandparents so much, and I am so grateful to them for raising us. I’ve learned a lot from them, their wisdom and stories. I know that they raised my sister and me completely differently from how they raised the older kids. We’ve had more freedom and they’ve been more laid-back, I think.

“We’ve all learned to be patient with each other. We didn’t just lose our mom; they lost a daughter, and we really feel for them, too.”

Ronni is the salutatorian of her class at Freeman – “I had a 4.0 until I ran into precalculus” – and has been involved in numerous activities, including Literature Circle, Leadership, and planning the Freeman Career Fair. She has sung with the Spokane Youth Choir for 10 years.

Lorraine Robinson has been Ronni’s Spanish teacher for three years and has nothing but praise for her.

“Ronni is fantastic,” Robinson said. “She’s been an exemplary student and is obviously strong and resilient. Other students often look to her for guidance and help. She is very genuine and has been a positive part of the social atmosphere at Freeman. She’s experienced lots of adversity and has come out on top.”

Ronni plans to attend Whitworth University this fall, where music, theology and sociology will be among her interests, but she hasn’t decided on a major, or a career for that matter.

“It’s all pretty new and scary,” she said. “I think maybe when I’m done with college I’d like to be a flight attendant for a while, so I can travel and work at the same time.”

She has a couple of merit-based scholarships to Whitworth, one for music and the other through the Act Six Leadership and Scholarship Initiative. She made a few friends during the competition for the latter award, which has eased some of her anxiety about the coming transition.

Her grandparents are moving to Davenport, Washington, this summer, and while she has mixed emotions about the move, Ronni said, “I want them to be happy. They deserve that because of everything they’ve done for me.

“I’m excited about the next chapter of my life, but I’m also nervous. I thank God every day for my life and what I have. I have learned from my experience that life is precious, and that I should enjoy it and work hard. It will be exciting to see where I’m going to be led.”