Senior Margaret Powers Recognized for Resilience and Service as Art Fahrner–Edward Jones Alton High School Remarkable Redbird of the Month

ALTON — Senior Margaret Powers has been named the latest Remarkable Redbird and is recognized for her kindness, perseverance, and dedication to making a difference in the lives of young children.

Margaret has a strong passion for giving back, particularly to students at the Early Childhood Center in the Alton School District. She is one of more than 15 upperclassmen selected to work alongside teachers and children, gaining valuable hands-on experience while supporting early childhood education.

As a Level 2 student in the program, Margaret has taken on additional responsibilities, including assisting teachers with lesson planning and student activities. Her role allows her to better understand child development while contributing from both a developmental and therapeutic perspective — an area she hopes to pursue professionally in the future.

Margaret’s commitment to helping others is deeply shaped by her own personal journey. At age 7, she was diagnosed with scoliosis. In January 2017, when she was 8 years old, she was scheduled to undergo surgery to improve her condition. During the procedure, Margaret suffered cardiac arrest due to an allergic reaction to anesthesia, forcing the surgery to be postponed.

She successfully underwent surgery nine months later. At age thirteen, she endured another procedure where fused rods were placed in her back as part of her treatment.

Margaret credits her recovery to the support and determination of her physical therapy teams at Children’s Hospital in St. Louis and Athletico, who helped push her physically and mentally through the rehabilitation process.

Thanks to years of dedication and hard work, Margaret has returned to dance — an activity she loves. For the past two years, she has been a competitive dancer with the Jennifer Bishop Dance Studio. This spring, she is scheduled to perform in four competitive dances and six recital numbers.

In addition to her extracurricular accomplishments, Margaret is a member of the National Honor Society. She plans to attend Lewis and Clark Community College next year to study exercise science. Her goal is to transfer to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

Ultimately, Margaret hopes to continue her education at Washington University in St. Louis, where she plans to pursue advanced studies in physical therapy.

As she continues her academic journey, Margaret plans to work at a daycare once she turns eighteen, further strengthening her experience working with children while pursuing her long-term career goals.

Through her resilience, compassion, and dedication to service, Margaret Powers exemplifies what it means to be a Remarkable Redbird.

Click here for the Art Fahrner-Edward Jones Facebook page.

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