Peyton Michaels has been named the September Student of the Month by the Bethel Park Rotary Club. The Bethel Park High School senior was recognized during a ceremony at The Garden Restaurant on Gardenville Road for her academic excellence, leadership, and service to the community. Michaels maintains a 4.1 weighted GPA and is admired for her ability to balance academics, the arts, and volunteer work.
A member of both the National Honor Society and the former National Junior Honor Society, Michaels has been a student leader since middle school. She has served as a homeroom representative, student government member and student ambassador for events such as eighth grade move-up day and the annual South Hills College & Career Fair. She also participates in Interact, logging service hours through projects including Rotary’s pancake breakfast and chicken dinner fundraisers. In addition, she has been active in Girl Scouts since elementary school.
Michaels is equally devoted to the performing arts. Since her freshman year, she has appeared in every high school musical and fall play, with past roles including Elsa Schraeder in The Sound of Music.
“Elsa was such a fun character to play, and having the opportunity to embrace her sophisticated but conflicted character alongside some of my closest friends is something I will forever cherish,” Michaels said.
This fall, she will play Scarlet in the high school’s production of “Clue,” Nov. 5-8. She described the role as “poised, stuck-up, and devious” and said the character is a blast to portray. Michaels also serves as a student co-director for the production. Performing, she said, has always been a passion, and she hopes to stay involved in theater in college, possibly as a minor.
Beyond the stage, Michaels is a member of the Bethettes, Bethel Park’s dance troupe. She notes that the Bethettes are distinctive because, unlike many other performance teams, they integrate fully with the marching band, combining multiple performance elements into one cohesive unit. She is proud to represent that tradition. She has also pursued her interests outside of school, completing an apprenticeship at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium that provided a behind-the-scenes look at animal care.
Michaels, the daughter of Kristen and Jude Michaels and sister to Tanner, an eighth grader, plans to attend West Liberty University in West Virginia. While interested in biology, she is still exploring her academic path. Whether in science, service, or the arts, her record of achievement demonstrates commitment and character, celebrated by the Rotary Club’s Student of the Month award
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