Emily Ebelhar has experienced quite a few late nights through the years. Despite a 45-minute commute to and from school every day, and numerous extra-curricular activities, Ebelhar said not finishing work is never an option.

Ebelhar drives in from Lyon County every day. After school, she crams in as much studying as possible before lacing up her cleats and heading to St. Mary High School varsity soccer practice. She transferred to the St. Mary school system when she was in fifth-grade, because her parents wanted her to have a strong Catholic education.

The 17-year-old is ranked first in her class. She carries a cumulative 4.0 grade-point average and scored a composite 30 on the ACT. Though she’s not sure where she wants to go to college, Ebelhar does know she wants to study something in the medical field.

Like most applicants and recipients of the Mid-Continent University Teen of the Week honor, Ebelhar doesn’t rest on her academic laurels. She’s been on the St. Mary soccer team since she was in seventh-grade, and she also has a black belt in American Shotokan Karate. It started out as a self-defense measure, but when Ebelhar and her sister finished their years in karate, they took away both strength and discipline.

It’s that discipline, as well as integrity she learned early from her parents and teachers, that Ebelhar credits for her success. She’s always looking for new opportunities to expand her depth of knowledge. This summer, she spent five weeks at the Bellarmine University campus in Louisville at the Governor’s Scholars Program doing just that. Ebelhar enjoyed the opportunity to live and learn with students with determination like hers.

“It’s kind of funny, because everyone’s so similar, even though they’re from everywhere else,” she said. “They have the same goal. They want to do the something with themselves. They have that extra little bit of reach.”

To hear more about Ebelhar’s experience at GSP, watch the video interview at paducahsun.com.

Outside her academic life, Ebelhar has worked at Venture River Water Park as well as numerous babysitting jobs and a stint as a swim instructor. Volunteering is also something she’s looked forward to in her very busy schedule. Since she was a freshman, Ebelhar’s family has volunteered at Martha’s Vineyard soup kitchen and food pantry on Thanksgiving Day. She said it’s a special experience, because it exposes the true meaning of the American holiday.

Emily Ebelhar, daughter of Mark and Grace Ebelhar, is the Mid-Continent University Teen of the Week. Each Monday, the Sun features a different MCU Teen of the Week selected from nominees that high school guidance counselors throughout western Kentucky and southern Illinois submit to the Sun. Mid-Continent University will provide each Teen of the Week with a $2,500 annual scholarship to its university, which is renewable for four years. In the spring, a Teen of the Year will be chosen from the weekly winners and will receive a full four-year scholarship to Mid-Continent University, currently valued at up to $55,000, or a cash award of $2,500 paid through The Paducah Sun if the student selects another college to attend.