Jessie Sheldon is excited.

Friday will be the culmination of a long journey to cross high school off her list of things to do, finish with a diploma, and make her mom proud.

“I’m really excited to go above and beyond with my life,” said Sheldon, the graduating Austin High School senior.

Sheldon has already gone above and beyond many high school students. She works as a team leader at King Maintenance, Inc. which works with Hormel Foods Corp., Wells Fargo and other area businesses. She supervises four or five workers at any given time, and often works weekdays and Sundays.

“We make sure it’s getting done, and done right,” Sheldon said.

She didn’t expect to make team leader so soon in her first job, and it felt serendipitous for her to get the job to begin with.

“One morning I woke up and I was just like, ‘Man, what am I going to do with my life?’ and I got a phone call from [the company] and [they] gave me the job,” she said.

Sheldon will graduate from the AHS Area Learning Center, which she loved being a part of. She earned several honors as well, as she was named the Student of the Month in April. The close interaction between teachers and students, as well as a small class size are advantages Sheldon sees in the program.

“We’re all pretty close-knit,” she said.

Sheldon isn’t quite sure what to pursue after high school, though she’s thinking of attending Riverland Community College. For now, she’s excited for life after high school and glad to graduate.

“It makes my mom proud,” she said.