Contrary to popular belief that nice guys finish last, for Kelly Leatherman being nice doesn’t mean she finishes last. In fact, she was nominated for one of the most 50 influential people at Free State because of how nice she is.

Some people might find it hard to always be nice, especially in situations that might irk the average high school student, but Leatherman is different. She is looked up to for her ability to always stay positive and her random acts of kindness towards people she may not even know.

Leatherman says it’s as simple as just keeping a positive attitude.

“It’s easier to be positive to be negative, it just takes more time to be all angry,” Leatherman said.

Leatherman’s positive attitude has an equally positive impact on the school.

“My positiveness might bring them up if they feel down, they might smile more.”

Just like any other human, Leatherman does get annoyed with people pestering her. Although rare, she has told people off. Leatherman recalls a time when she got aggravated with a fellow peer.

“I have gotten pretty sassy before. One time there was this girl in Advanced Placement Statistics class, she wanted to switch seats to sit with her friend, so I said, it’s 51 minutes you can survive.”

Nobody is always happy; you have to stand up for yourself every once and awhile. Nonetheless, Leatherman was recognized for her ability to take other peoples feelings in account before her own. Simply being a selfless, good person has gotten her school wide recognition as a role model or an exemplar to students across Free State.