“Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit; we’ve put a man on the moon.”

Amanda Bingman, daughter of Dale and Tina Bingman, is a senior at Rifle High School and is May’s Student of the Month. Her favorite quote, which she heard at Girls State, summarizes her lifestyle. She not only strives for the limit herself but also tries to help others to reach their potential.

She has played the clarinet in band since the seventh grade, participating in both the Wind Ensemble and Pep band at RHS. She was a defense attorney on the Mock Trial team this year and has participated in Upward Bound, a college preparatory program, since 1999. She was selected for Girls State last June at Western Colorado University, along with senior Jennifer Schneider.

This month in Denver, she will be competing in shot put at state track. She has also earned her golden bear (lettering in an activity all four years of high school).

“Last Saturday (was my favorite RHS moment) because I accomplished a goal that I had set for myself as a freshman,” she said about qualifying for state track. “I saw my coach, Stacey Ellibee, full of pride.”

Bingman is also the managing editor, or the “second in command,” of the Blue and Gold Gazette. I have worked as editor-in-chief for two years, and she has been invaluable to me.

Like the main character in her favorite book, “Matilda,” by Roald Dahl, Bingman has always been fascinated with reading. If you were to walk into her room, you’d find books, books, books – from Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” to Michael Jordan’s autobiography.

“My first-grade teacher Karen McClung from Roy Moore (Elementary) got me hooked (on reading),” said Bingman. “She taught me to read and showed me a whole new world in books.”

Bingman’s desire for learning doesn’t end with herself. She aspires to be an elementary school teacher, perhaps concentrating in special education. She will be attending University of Northern Colorado in Greeley this fall.

“(My passion is) helping little kids,” she said. “When you see them succeed, the feeling is indescribable.”

The moment some seniors accept their diplomas, they might be headed off for one last summer full of high school craziness. Not Bingman. The summer will be time for reflection.

“I’ll sit down and decide what I want to do with my life,” she said.

“Graduation is the first day of the rest of your life.”

Bingman’s shout out to her family and friends is, “Thanks for everything because without you, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”