June 6, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Senior spotlight Eric Poe

Every week we ask a St. Joseph-Ogden senior five questions. This week we talked to Eric Poe.

Thank you to Hoveln Heating and Cooling for sponsoring this post.

What are your plans after you graduate from St. Joseph-Ogden?  
After graduation, I will attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, where I will study and train for four years to serve my country as a Naval Officer.

If you could have dinner with three people who would they be and why?
If I could have dinner with any three people, they would most likely be Alexander the Great, Steve Prefontaine, and Quentin Tarantino. Alexander, because he is the greatest military commander of all time; Prefontaine, because he was one of the greatest and most influential runners of all time; and Tarantino, because he has directed many of my all-time favorite movies and I would love to talk to him.

Who is your biggest inspiration?
My father is my biggest inspiration. He came from very little means, yet was able to provide me with countless opportunities.  He has taught me just about everything I know and has been a constant source of motivation.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years, I see myself still serving as an officer in the military, hopefully as an O-4 or higher

What is your favorite class and why?
My favorite class currently is Strength Training with Coach Retz.  As the first class of my day, it serves as a great way to ease into the day, and I enjoy the people in the class just as much as I enjoy improving myself physically.

Banner
Related Posts

5 Questions with Cohen Sands

January 26, 2023

January 26, 2023

We asked the members of the Heritage Bass Chorus five questions. Here are Cohen Sands answers. What does it mean...

St. Joseph man peacefully protests against police brutality: ‘We need to listen’

June 4, 2020

June 4, 2020

Jon Arteaga isn’t looking for any praise by protesting at the corner of Main Street and Route 150 in St....

Get to know our little princess candidates: Keeley Mackenzie

August 9, 2024

August 9, 2024

1. What is your favorite part of summer? Swimming! 2. What do you want to be when you grow up?...

SJO makes graduation plans for June

May 1, 2020

May 1, 2020

St. Joseph-Ogden High School is making plans for graduation to honor the Class of 2020. In a letter sent to...

Challenging schedule testing SJO girls’ basketball early on

December 16, 2024

December 16, 2024

The first month of the season for the St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball has featured a challenging schedule and some quality...

Eye clinic aiming for March opening

January 9, 2020

January 9, 2020

2020 is the perfect year for an eye care service to open. And St. Joseph is the perfect location for...

‘Once a spartan, always a spartan’ by Katelyn Berry

June 16, 2020

June 16, 2020

When I pictured giving a speech at my high school graduation, this isn’t exactly what came to mind. I imagined...

10 things you don’t know about me Staci Potter

August 12, 2021

August 12, 2021

We asked St. Joseph-Ogden’s new district bookkeeper to tell us 10 interesting facts about herself. Meet Staci Potter. 1. My...

McKinney, Umbarger lift SJO football to win at Rantoul

October 3, 2025

October 3, 2025

Getting to the playoffs is the expectation for the St. Joseph-Ogden football team.Nearly four decades of sustained success and consistent...

Residential Electronics Collection Event scheduling taking place now

April 7, 2025

April 7, 2025

The online registration for Champaign County’s Spring Residential Electronics Collection Event is now open! The collection event will take place...

Food pantry in need of donations

August 23, 2019

August 23, 2019

The shelves are almost bare at the St. Joseph Community Food Pantry. The pantry, housed in the St. Joseph Church...

For Schmidt, hard work pays off

July 12, 2019

July 12, 2019

Sammi Schmidt isn’t afraid of hard work. The future Illinois State Redbird was awarded the Gary Butler award at St....

Lending a hand: how to help out the Short family

March 25, 2019

March 25, 2019

Amy Short and her family don’t like to ask for help. So their friends are doing it for them. Amy...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Feb. 25, 2025

February 25, 2025

February 25, 2025

Jim Page is here. He’s running for mayor. Peter Shaw is here. He is running for village board. They just...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Sept. 9, 2025

September 9, 2025

September 9, 2025

I am here. So much interesting stuff is on the agenda for tonight. Jack Flash is here asking for the...

Comments
Leave a Reply