NORTH BALTIMORE — Madison Westgate wants to turn her love of animals into studying to be a pre-veterinary student.

The daughter of Jason and Laura Westgate, the North Baltimore High School senior grew up on a farm.

She plans to be a pre-veterinary student and get an animal science degree at the University of Findlay, then go into grad school afterwards.

“(Ever since I was a) little girl I’ve always dreamed of saving animals. And I discovered that that’s what a veterinarian does. And so I’ve decided that I wanted to save animals,” she said.

She has played softball since a kid and has been team captain for the Tigers’ varsity team. She has earned three varsity letters awards, Division IIII first team, Blanchard Valley Conferece all league second team and NBHS co-offensive player of the year.

“I knew when I was younger that I was I always loved the sport and that I was had potential in it. But I think it really clicked in junior high when I started playing travel ball, and I could keep up with everyone there,” Westgate said.

Her extracurricular activities don’t stop there. She is also the Wood County Junior Fair board president, Klassy Kids 4-H Club co-president, Wood County 4-H honor court member, and part of their leadership board. With a busy schedule, Westgate said she keeps a calendar to write down and keep track of what events are when. She then sets aside a day where she can recover from a busy week.

Westgate said these organizations shaped her into the person she is.

“They’ve made me the leader I am today … to go out and speak to people and develop a personality, like an outgoing personality,” she said. “Or like in softball, it’s taught me how to be a team player. And know that you can’t do everything by yourself. And it takes a whole team to even do the simplest things.”

Westgate gave advice for the incoming high school freshmen.

“Just be who you are, really. I really stand by that. Because there’s a lot of people in high school who can change you and push you to be someone who you really don’t want to be like. It is hard to see my friends changed from who we were younger to be completely different person now. So stand by your morals and believe in yourself, because that’ll it’ll take you very far. As long as you have self-confidence it’ll take you far.”