MAYFIELD, Ky. — Teenagers aren’t supposed to love their hometown.
Between teenage angst, and plans for college, the stereotype has them busting to get out.
But Mayfield High School senior Madison Crooks crows about her community, and credits it as one of her motivating forces.
“I’ve gone to Mayfield my entire life,” Crooks said. “Since I was in kindergarten, so I’m red and black, Cardinal No. 1 fan through and through ... and I just love getting involved.”
When getting involved includes being a varsity cheerleading captain, and a four-year varsity softball player, all while holding down a 3.8 grade point average, it lands you as Teen of the Week.
Crooks, daughter of Kenneth and Deborah Crooks, is the Murray State University Teen of the Week. Each Thursday, the Sun features a different MSU Teen of the Week selected from nominees submitted by high school guidance counselors in western Kentucky and southern Illinois.
In May, a Teen of the Year will be chosen from the weekly winners, earning a $5,000 scholarship to MSU.
Teen of the Week is part of the Sun’s Newspaper in Education program.
Crooks’ enthusiasm, and overall engaging demeanor, is what stood out to Lynn Henderson, acounselor at Mayfield High School.
“It has more to do with Madison as a person,” Henderson said.
“She has all the qualities of a Teen of the Week, but it’s who she is that makes her stand out.”
Crooks has a theme throughout her high school career of showing as much proficiency in the classroom as she does with sports, and interest in the town.
She’s a distinguished CATS student from 2006-2008, which means she scored at high levels on standardized tests.
The dark-haired Mayfield native can detail the football rivalry between her school and Paducah Tilghman High School dating back to 1911. “But the Graves County rivalry is a big one now, too,” she said.
She’s as proud of being a Beta Club member for three years as she is of pet- and house-sitting for family friends the past four years.
Her four-year run on the powder-puff team is balanced with her membership in the school’s science club.
“I’m one of those people who says, ‘All right, let’s do this,’” Crooks said. Which is what led her to joining wide-ranging clubs such as Future Business Leaders of America, Interact Club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Crooks said her plans are to attend college, possibly at Western Kentucky University or at the University of Kentucky.
Her love for all things science, and math, have her mulling a career in nursing.
And her love for all things Mayfield have her thinking she’s coming back to the area some day.
“I have a lot of family here,” Crooks said. “I know I’ll come back and watch the Mayfield-Graves game, the Mayfield-Tilghman game.
“I know I’ll come back.”
Contact Adam Shull, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
