You were buddies on the cheerleading squad, teammates in debate or next-door neighbors. Chances are, you’ve wondered, “Where are they now?”

With the election season chugging full speed ahead, a few former Austinites are serving in political offices or campaigning for one in their respective communities.

Austin High School graduate Roy Srp, a 1971 alum, is seeking his third term as mayor of Waseca, Minn., where he is running unopposed.

Srp, who moved from his hometown in 1973, is no stranger to political campaigning. He served on the Waseca County Board of Commissioners for two years; on the Waseca City Council for nine years; and lost a bid for state representative in 1996.

The manager of mechanical operations for Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad, Srp decided to run for office for the same reason many citizens do: He wanted to make a difference.

“(The) Highway 13 and 14 intersection in Waseca was a problem,” he explained. “I thought, ‘Somebody should do something about this.’”

Srp was elected and has worked in local government ever since.

“Guess what — we still have problems with that intersection,” Srp joked.

He lives in Waseca, a town of about 10,000 residents located between Owatonna and Mankato, with his wife, son and stepdaughter. He still has parents and a sister living in Austin.

A self-proclaimed “average” student who enjoyed school, Srp took three years of Latin classes and was active in speech and forensics. His mentors were Cecily Spaulding, his forensics instructor, and Janice Krambeer, a speech coach, both of whom still reside in Austin.

“They made learning fun,” Srp said. “Both of them were dedicated teachers and very dedicated to the students. They were awesome. I wrote a card of thanks to both of them.”

Another AHS alum, James Weikum, graduated in 1974 and is serving his first term as mayor of Biwabik, Minn.

Born and raised in Austin, Weikum attended Austin Community College and graduated from the University of Minnesota, and later did graduate work at the University of Iowa. He still has two brothers and a sister who live in Austin.

Weikum moved from Mankato to Biwabik in 1992 to accept a job as head of the Arrowhead Library System, a seven-county regional public library system in northeastern Minnesota.

Biwabik, a town of about 950 on the Iron Range, draws tourists to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, about a half-hour away, as well as its popular Giants Ridge ski resort and two world-class golf courses.

Weikum said Biwabik faces typical small-town obstacles, like declining population, but potential new business, such as precious metal mining and year-round tourism, offer hope for continuing prosperity.

His decision to run for city council was one that had always sat in the back of his mind, he said.

One of his mentors, a political science teacher at the community college in the 1970s and 80s named Jerry Carlson, influenced him for life after pointing out a talent in him.

“He said to me, ‘You should really run for office,’” Weikum said. “I tried to figure out how I could give back to my community.”

Weikum looks back affectionately on his childhood in Austin.

“It was a good place to live in the 60s and 70s,” he said. “Lots of fond memories — kind of small-town America the way we remember it back then. As part of the baby boomer generation, there were always kids my age to play with.”

Weikum has one year left in his mayoral term; he does not know if he will run for mayor again or not.

Sue Hakes, on the other hand, is taking her first shot at an elected office, as mayor of Grand Marais, Minn.

Hakes, a 1976 AHS alumna, is vigorously campaigning for the mayoral seat in her town, a village of about 1,400 known for its recreational activities, tourism and fishing on Lake Superior.

Owner of her own company, Sue Hakes Realty, LLC, Hakes lives with her husband, John Gorski, their dog and cat. She moved away from Austin after she graduated, and has lived in Grand Marais since 1995.

Hakes threw her hat in the ring for mayor after discovering her passion for public policy.

“By the time this election is done, I will have knocked on every door in town,” she said, and has been working hard in her election by regularly attending city council meetings and talking with various leaders.

“The biggest issue is lack of living wage jobs,” said Hakes, explaining that non-seasonal jobs and employment for youth are few.

“Growing up in Austin has really helped formulate what’s important to me … being in a working town where jobs are so important,” she said.

As a student at AHS, Hakes delved into school activities: co-editor of the yearbook, choir, band, pompoms, cheerleading, track and honor roll. Her brothers, Bob and John, graduated in 1977 and 1982.

“I’m very proud to be from Austin and very proud to be a Packer,” Hakes said.