Elin Bjorklund Mischler, a senior at DHS, looks back at her accomplishments as the end of her senior year is approaching. She paved her way through high school with her interests in the outdoors and swimming, always pursuing her passions and using them to make her life better. 

Mischler has been swimming throughout high school and it has become a meaningful sport and experience for her. She has even used it to relieve the stress and heavy loads of school work.

“I’m proud of having swam throughout high school because it taught me how to deal with stress. It was important to have an interest outside of school and I was able to get to know my team who was always there for me and who I had a lot of fun with,” Mischler said in an interview. 

 Before finding swimming, Mischler even adventured into different sports, like track and cross country. From the very beginning of high school, Mischler tried all sorts of classes too, experimenting with different subjects and interests. Nevertheless, she always came back to what she liked from when she was younger; nature and animals. 

“I’ve always been really interested in animals and nature, and connecting that to school was really helpful,” Mischler explained. 

Though there were classes that initially seemed less interesting, she found a way to make them more exciting by connecting them to her main interest of nature. A main example was her statistics class. At first it appeared boring, she said, but when she changed her perspective and thought of the subject as a new way to learn about the world and science, that class became more exciting. 

Mischler is planning on going into science and as she was looking into that, she started noticing pikas. Pikas are small mammals that live in the high country and are threatened by climate change. She is now doing research and learning as much as she can about them.

 Mischler is even starting up a program to monitor pikas and has been getting people from Durango to go out on talus slopes to survey pikas. She is currently working on a proposal for funding so that she can test some samples and continue researching. 

“It’s been fun. I’ve liked it a lot,” Mischler shared. 

Curiosity has also played a significant role in her life. It has driven her to learn about more things and dive deeper into her classes and extracurriculars. Joey Hattis, a teacher at DHS, noticed the effort and curiosity that she puts into her work. 

“Elin has found success in high school through dedication and hard work. Her intellectual curiosity also serves her in her studies. While I’m sure she cares very much about her grades, she also has a genuine interest in learning which serves her in connecting with teachers and developing deep understanding, which is what makes learning fun,” Mr. Hattis shared in a recent interview. 

Elin Mischler has clearly demonstrated hard work and curiosity, which has helped her throughout her high school career and in pursuing her interest in nature and love of swimming.