KCRG-TV9 Student of the Month grew up volunteering, gives back in honor of her dad

EDGEWOOD, Iowa (KCRG) - The KCRG-TV9 Student of the Month for October is a student who community members say will be missed when she goes off to college next year.

Megan Pierschbacher is involved in all kinds of activities, including band, choir, drama, FBLA, school newspaper, STEAM Club, Student Council, and is the cheer team captain.

Her senior cheer season almost didn’t happen though.

Cheer Advisor, and Edgewood Chamber Director Elise Bergan, said Megan stepped up to have the season for Bailey, a classmate with different abilities. Following an example to do the right thing, set by her parents. She wants to make her dad proud.

“He was the Greeley Fire Chief and over in Greeley for 16 years, from just before I was born, until he died at the end of my sophomore year,” Megan said. “He was very active here at Ed-Co. He coached quite a few sports. He also worked at the bank here in town. He did a lot and I just want to live up to him.”

Bergan says she sees Megan taking on the volunteering role in the community, following in her dad’s footsteps.

“Her dad was active in the Greeley Community, the Edgewood Community, EMT, firefighter, he taught I don’t know how many people first aid and CPR, and he did that all on his own too with keeping a full-time job, and also raising a family,” Bergan said. “I see Megan taking on that role because she just embodies that spirit of helping.”

Megan’s mom, Kari, is also a volunteer firefighter.

“She’s just always grown up with Dave and I always volunteering,” Kari recalled. “There were lots of times in the middle of the night the kids got woken up like, we’ve got to go there’s a call, and so they’d have to grab their sleeping bags and sleep at the station where someone could watch them.”

Megan gives back to the community too.

“She is one of the best volunteers we have,” Bergan said.

She helps out at community celebrations, the fire department, and with shows at the Elkader opera house. She was so busy one weekend, the only time she saw her mom, who is also the Ed-Co band director, was in class the days around it.

“She was working with the Elkader Opera House on their production, if I wasn’t her teacher, I wouldn’t have seen her, because I saw her in class Friday morning, and then I didn’t see her again until class Monday morning,” Kari said.

Megan is also kind to others.

“Everyone loves Megan,” Bergan said. “She’s got such a caring spirit and attitude with anyone. She is there if you need help and she identifies that help before you even know you need it.”

“If she sees somebody else having a bad day, she reaches out, and because I think we know what it feels like to have those bad days, and she doesn’t want anyone else to be feeling that,” Kari said.

She finds meaning through music and theater, and grew up making plays in her grandma’s garage. Through all her activities, and involvements, she also maintains a 4.0 GPA.

“Megan is amazing, her maturity level her passion for volunteering her intelligence,” Bergan said. “She is the epitome of a student of the month.”

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