This issue we continue a feature called Young Rockford Woman. We celebrate the promise of the area's next generation.

Involvements and accomplishments
I’ve been swimming for four years. I also participate in my school’s band. I play the clarinet, and I have been in band since fifth grade. I was a member of Key Club, our school’s community service program. I volunteer bimonthly at SwedishAmerican Hospital in the gift shop. For my sophomore, junior and senior years, I have been part of a program through my school library where I go with about 10 other students one morning a week to a grade school and read to preschoolers and kindergartners. I also am co-president of my temple’s youth group, where we take part in several community service opportunities. Lastly, I’m a member of my school’s library teen advisory board.

Katie Lamont

Year in school/name of school: I’m a senior at Hononegah High School.

City of residence: Roscoe.

Family members: My mom, Lauren Lamont; my father, Mark Lamont; my brother, Eric, who’s studying to become an engineer, and my dog, Nemo, an adorable beagle.

My biggest achievement/proudest moment so far: I would have to say that my proudest moment happened this summer at my Lead America conference on medicine and health care. For 10 days, I worked as hard as I possibly could to learn everything that they were teaching us. With my team, I excelled at multiple tests, mock patient interviews and mock diagnosis. The professors who run and teach at the conferences noticed my level of commitment and my strive to achieve. Because of this, I won the top leadership award that Lead America offers. When they called me up onto the stage at our “graduation” with my five or so other team members, standing with them in front of all of our peers, parents, and prestigious scholars in the field of medicine and knowing that I had achieved something monumental with some of my closest friends was incredibly mind boggling.

What I like to do for fun: I like to spend time with my friends, a lot. From driving around town to watching ’80s horror movie marathons, it’s always a lot of fun.

I define success as … Success is not about receiving a large sum of money or having the best car on the block. I define success as having the best experience I could possibly have, whether it be learning a new language or swimming a race. As long as I did what I knew I could do, I feel successful.

Best advice I have received: When I was younger, I was having a really hard time with pain from a skating injury, and my father told me to remember that anything that is unpleasant or difficult will eventually end, and to just push through it and work for the best possible outcome. His advice has really helped me when I feel like I can’t do something or if I’m having a really hard time. I always remember that my problem is not permanent and to just work through it as best I can.

Being a woman means: Not giving up, being an independent and powerful person who can achieve anything she wants. It also means working as hard as I can to achieve and be the best person possible.

My mama always told me: My mom has always told me that whatever I want to do, I am fully capable of doing. She’s always been the one pushing me to achieve my dreams more than anyone else. When I was first nominated to attend a Lead America conference, I was incredibly reluctant because I was afraid that I would be surrounded by kids who were much smarter than me. But, she constantly reminded me that if I wanted to, I was capable of attending the conference and excelling, and I was.

A woman I admire (who’s not my mom) is … I really admire my two grandmothers. They are both such strong women that they really set a high standard for me to follow. Both of them are incredibly driven, intelligent and compassionate people. My father’s stepmother has always strived to become an author and her achieving her goal has shown me that anything is possible with enough effort. My mom’s mother has also worked very hard to start a company with my grandfather and run it for about 50 years. They’ve both shown me what it takes to succeed.

No. 1 issue facing women: Countries that oppress women solely based on gender are the biggest adversity that women face globally. Locally, women are often undermined. Some people do not realize the amazing potential that women have because they are women, and they believe women are not as capable. Sexism has decreased astonishingly in America over the past century, but some women still face adversity on a daily basis in the workplace or elsewhere because of their gender.

Ten years from now … I’ll (hopefully) be out of medical school and in the midst of a residency to become a surgeon of some sort, partaking in operations and helping people live better lives.

Something I have always wanted to do/learn: I’ve always wanted to be able to draw or create artistic things. That or speak 10 languages.

The best thing in my wardrobe: I really love jeans, so probably my jeans. Over the summer, I bought the most comfortable pair of sweat pants on the face of the planet. One of the two.

The piece of technology I can’t live without: Technology in general! I’m addicted to my phone, but I could probably make do without that. I’d have to say my iPod. That thing holds my life.

If you know of a promising young woman between ages 16 and 24 who lives in the Rock River Valley, send her name, contact information and a brief description of her accomplishments and activities to Shelley Hendricks at shendricks@rockfordwoman.com.