Jaelyn Stangler, far left, and Kolt Bullerman were recently announced as the Triple A honorees at USC this year.

United South Central High School recently announced Jaelyn Stangler and Kolt Bullerman as the Triple A recipients for the 2025-26 school year.

The Triple A award is awarded each year to a senior boy and girl who display excellence in academics, athletics, and arts.

Jaelyn Stangler

Jaelyn Stangler is the daughter of Josh and Kim Stangler, and is from Wells. Upon finding out that she had been selected as a Triple A award winner for 2025-26, she said that she was both shocked and ecstatic.

“There was a lot of great competition in our grade this year, and there were several other people who could have won this award instead of me,” Stangler explains. “I’ve made it this far while still managing everything, and I’m very proud of all of the work I’ve done.”

Stanger’s nomination was well deserved, as she has a long list of academic achievements, ranging from student government and Knowledge Bowl to the newly reinstated USC Speech team.

“I’m on the A honor roll, and I think my current GPA is around 3.98,” Stangler shares. “I’m a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA), student government, and the National Honor Society, and I’m also involved with Knowledge Bowl, mock trial, and the Speech team.”

Despite her lengthy list of clubs and organizations, Stangler’s academic achievements are just one pillar of her involvement at USC. She is also an accomplished athlete, and has been a member of the volleyball and track and field teams for several years.

“My main events for track and field are shotput and discus, but I have also competed in high jump, long jump, and sprinting as well,” Jaelyn explains.

On the artistic side of things, Jaelyn’s endeavors in sculpture, pottery, and painting have earned her recognition in the Minnesota State High School League’s Gopher Conference.

“One of my paintings was submitted for competition in the Gopher Conference last year, and it received an Excellent rating,” Stangler recalls. “I’m hoping that one of my pottery pieces is selected for competition this year.”

With such a busy academic schedule, Stangler admits that it can be difficult to find time for herself, whether that’s to do homework or just taking a day off to relax. She also volunteers locally in her community and has a job as a waitress, which adds even more events to her calendar.

“Having to juggle all of these different activities means that sometimes you do have to sacrifice one thing for another,” Stangler shares. “Sometimes feels like I’m missing out on social activities with my friends, but I’m also very lucky to have family that’s willing to help me organize my schedule so I can continue to do all of the things that I love.”

On the flip side, however, Stangler credits all of her involvement with helping her become a well-rounded student, connecting her with several opportunities and people across a wide variety of subjects.

“Being so involved as a student really opens you up to a wide variety of people,” Stangler explains. “You learn to be a leader in so many different aspects, with each activity focusing on different set of traits or skills that you can use throughout the rest of your life.”

When asked if she had any advice for her fellow students when getting involved at USC, Stangler replied that the best way to get involved is just to jump in and try.

“My advice is to just try things, even if you don’t think you’re going to like it,” Stangler shares. “You also don’t have to be good at something to enjoy doing it – I found that out when I started doing Speech. Regardless of what activities you choose, all of them will teach you valuable life skills that will serve you for years to come.”

Kolt Bullerman

Kolt Bullerman is the son of Brian and Tammy Bullerman, and is from Wells. Best known for his athletic achievements as the captain of the football team, Bullerman also has several involvements within the academics and the arts, many of which he has in common with Stangler.

“Like Jaelyn, I’m also involved with student government, FFA, and Knowledge Bowl,” Bullerman shares. “I’m also on the B honor roll, which needs a 3.25 GPA or higher to qualify. For athletics, I’m involved with football, wrestling, and baseball, and for arts, I’m a percussionist in the band.”

Bullerman’s various involvements often mean that he has scheduling conflicts, particularly between band and his various athletics. However, he also emphasized that it’s important to take a step back and find time for yourself amidst the chaos, too.

“Being in sports all year round, with football in the fall, wrestling in the winter, and baseball in the spring, means that I don’t have a lot of downtime during the school year,” Bullerman explains. “Sometimes I’ll miss practice due to a band rehearsal or FFA, and I have a lot less time to spend with my friends. But that’s why it’s important for me to take a vantage of my downtime when I do get it, so I can forget about sports for a little bit and relax.”

Bullerman also has a strong support network with his friends and family, who have encouraged him to get involved and try new things over the years.

“My parents started in me in sports from a pretty young age, so that was always going to be a big part of my life,” Bullerman recalls. “Other activities I was encouraged to join by my friends, who were members themselves, so that’s really helped me branch out and try things outside of my comfort zone.”

Bullerman says that he was surprised by the announcement that he was a Triple A award recipient, as he hadn’t been expecting to win.

“I was kinda surprised when I got the news that I was a triple A winner, since I didn’t think my application was that impressive,” Bullerman admits. “My mom was the one who encouraged me to apply, so I sat down and filled it all out. I’m incredibly grateful to have been selected.”

Bullerman also had some advice for his fellow students who want to get involved, encouraging them to take advantage of all of the opportunities that USC offers while they’re still a student.

“You’re only in high school for four years of your life, so you should definitely take the opportunity to try new things while you have the chance,” Bullerman shares. “Being in a small town is great, because that means there isn’t as much competition to get into all of the different activities like at a bigger school, so you really do get a chance to try everything.”