Steamboat Pilot & Today

Soroco High School senior Gregory Block was named the Optimist Club's November teen of the month.

Block, 18, is incredibly active in his school and in the community. He is president of Soroco High School's chapter of National Honor Society, president of the school's 11s Club, a member of the school's Future Business Leaders of America chapter, vice chairman of the South Routt School District's District Accountability Committee, president of the school's El Pomar Youth in Community Service chapter, a senior partner with Partners In Routt County and president of the school's Book Club.

He has earned three academic letters, two varsity baseball letters, been named the school's Outstanding Spanish student three times and is a two-time Presidential Award recipient. Greg maintains a 4.0 grade point average.

An avid oil painter and artist, Greg's work has been on display and for sale throughout the county. He also enjoys clay sculpture, furniture building, drawing, collage and kinetic sculpture. Greg has played the piano for 10 years, is the first-chair trombone player in the school band and has been named to all-state band. He also enjoys alpine skiing, mountaineering, traveling, hiking, backpacking and cycling.

Greg also has held numerous jobs in the area. He has worked various landscaping and construction jobs, taught piano and performed trail work with the Community Youth Corps.

Greg plans to attend college and eventually pursue a master's degree, likely in architecture or environmental design. He also plans to continue painting and playing the piano.

Greg's advice to fellow students is, "Don't let little bumps in the road get you down. Visualize where you want to go and don't let that vision blur out of focus. But most of all, have fun along the way. After all, these are the days."