MENDOTA - The Mendota Elks has announced their January Teen of the Month, Carli Wright, a senior at Princeton High School.

Carli is the daughter of Todd and Joann Wright. She is currently 16th in her class and has been on the high honor roll every year of high school and in National Honor Society since junior year.

She has been a cheerleader all four years, played softball and volleyball freshman year, has been in track since sophomore year, and in wrestling and tennis since junior year. Carli was a co-captain in volleyball freshman year, in wrestling junior year and in cheerleading senior year. She received the Perfect Attendance Cheerleading Award freshman and sophomore years and earned the Freshman Volleyball Hustle/Attitude Award and the Junior Varsity Sportsmanship Award. As a junior, she was All Academic Girls Tennis, All Academic Wrestling, Girls Wrestling State Qualifier, All Academic Cheer, Scholastic Achievement Award (track, tennis and choir), TRAC All Academic Track, Girls Wrestling Sportsmanship Award, and Randy Swinford Built for Life Award (wrestling).

Carli earned the First Class Award and High Honor Roll Award every year. She was a Student of the Month sophomore and junior years and was given the Certificate of Service Award for 24-plus service learning hours as a junior.

She was a member of FFA all four years, was part of Year 1 Mentorship as a junior and senior, in Spanish Club sophomore and junior years, on the Yearbook staff sophomore year and in Student Council since sophomore year. As a freshman, she was FFA Agronomy Greenhand Top Scorer, FFA Judging Livestock Greenhand Top Scorer, FFA Envirothon MVP Greenhand Team and STAR Greenhand Award. As a sophomore, she was FFA Envirothon MVP Varsity Team, FFA Agronomy Judging Varsity Top Scorer and STAR Chapter Award. As a junior, Carli was FFA Agronomy Varsity Top Scorer.

Carli has been in chorus since sophomore year. As a freshman, she was also in band, marching band, concert band and pep band. She was Class B Music Sweepstakes 3rd place as a sophomore, and as a junior was Class B Music Sweepstakes 2nd place.

She has volunteered at the PIT Wrestling Tournament (2020), sold wrestling T-shirts (2019) and PIT wrestling concessions (2018). She volunteered with at the Farm Bureau with the Farmer for a Day and the FFA Kiddie Tractor Pull in 2018 and 2019, helped with TTT Wrestling Concessions (2017) and also helped with Operation Christmas Child Boxing, Bradford Hog Roast, Vacation Bible School, Tiskilwa Strawberry Festival, PYFL Admissions and AG in the Classroom in 2018. She also helped at Annie’s Little Pots in 2017.

In her free time, Carli enjoys fishing, taking pictures of livestock, hanging out with friends and family, and simply enjoying life. She is also a part of the Shelby Senior Program out of Washington, Ill., where she was able to meet many incredible and inspiring girls and had a blast spending time with them.