Annie Rapp’s favorite animal is a pig. Why? Pigs are cute, and they act like puppies, she says. Rapp grew up owning and participating in 4-H with pigs, which is the largest youth development organization in the United States dedicated to hands-on learning in areas such as agriculture, so she has been around them her whole life. Her father was raised on a pig farm, and when her mother was younger, she also did 4-H, so this was basically in Rapp’s blood.
Rapp, a first-year student at Wittenberg majoring in exercise science, said that working with the stout-bodied, intelligent animals was one of the best and most fun experiences of her life. Working with animals can provide lessons in patience, empathy, and responsibility.
Rapp is from Indian Lake, Ohio, where she went to school at Indian Lake High School. Her parents are both teachers at the school, and her father is also the head coach of the football team. She is close to her younger brother, a junior at Indian Lake High. The final member of her family is her furry, four-legged golden retriever named Blitzen.
Rapp feels like Wittenberg is her home away from home.“The students and staff at Wittenberg are proud of the school and have the best school spirit,” she said. Wittenberg also has amazing brick buildings and greenery for days. While the atmosphere first caught her attention, Rapp is also a part of the Wittenberg wrestling team.
Wrestling is not something Rapp has been doing her whole life. She was looking for something fun to do during her junior year of high school, and her brother recommended she try wrestling. Her first season went well, but her senior year is where she really cranked it up. She battled her way to the state tournament, and she even ended up placing eighth. For Rapp, taking a chance on something completely new seemed to turn out pretty well for her.
While most people have common pet peeves, like people chewing with their mouth open, Rapp is most irritated when people have their volume up on their phone in a public setting.
“It makes me really annoyed when I am sitting in class and someone has full volume on their phone,” she said. It’s not only disruptive, but distracting too.
On Rapp’s bucket list is traveling the world. She wants to experience going to Europe and New York during Christmas time. Rapp is an ambitious spirit. Where else will she go?
Stay tuned.
