Oberfoell chooses fit and environment
Kyle Pelan ’21
Previously published in “The Mount” a publication produced by the staff of Mount Michael’s Journalism team. Follow the journalism team via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube links on https://mountonline.org
By Kyle Pelan ’21
Mitchell Oberfoell ‘21 moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when his father was given a job opportunity at Alliant Energy in the summer of 2018. This forced Oberfoell to leave his home and high school.
“I knew moving was inevitable at about Christmas of freshman year,” Oberfoell said. “I was bummed out about what I’d be missing for sophomore year.”
“Mitchell Oberfoell ’21 returns to the Mount” Photo by Daniel Thomas’21
He attended Xavier High School and soon found out that it was not a right fit for him academically and socially.
“I slowly brought the possibility of coming back to Mount Michael up to my parents,” he said. “I gave the reasons that it helped me to grow and mature better, which would result in better grades, test scores, and scholarships.”
Oberfoell constantly persuaded his parents and discussed the possibility with sophomores from Mount Michael over the course of his second semester at Xavier High School.
“He always told me that he would come back, but we didn’t take him very seriously. That all changed when he shadowed at Mount Michael towards the end of sophomore year,” Logan Whitcomb ‘21 said.
For his junior year, Oberfoell and his family decided that being a seven day boarder would be the best fit for him.
“The transition has been smooth so far,” he said. “There is a lot of free time to stay on top of my work and have fun on campus. It’s just a matter of planning my day out and being organized.”
Along with being a new boarder, Oberfoell is eager to get involved in extracurricular activities. He is currently a manager for the cross country team and a member of the speech team.
“Besides school extracurriculars, I am really looking forward to Friday night football games and basketball games in the winter. I can’t wait to support and cheer on my classmates and friends,” he said.
School is the top priority for Oberfoell. He is considering a major in biology or actuarial science in college.
“Mitchell is an excellent student, one of the best in the junior class. His return tells me that he and his family value his education,” cross country coach and English teacher John Gathje said.