October 18, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Frisby to fly high at Illinois State

A welcome packet from Normal told St. Joseph-Ogden High School senior Justyn Frisby all he needed to know — he would be a Redbird in the fall.


“Illinois State University had been my top choice all along,” Frisby said.
“It didn’t matter where else I was accepted into.”


Frisby chose ISU because of the school’s size and the accredited business program.
.

Frisby said the school is just big enough to represent something new and exciting, while remaining small enough to give him the “small town vibes” he has known his whole life.


“I am looking forward to taking the next step and experiencing the
ups and downs that life has to offer; how I react to such a roller
coaster experience will be a testament to who I have become,” he said.


Plus, he has family in the area.


Frisby said his parents were elated with his choice.


“It was the school I talked to them about the most, it was cheaper and some of my family lives in Bloomington,” he said. “The bottom line was
that it immediately felt like home.”


Before he fully becomes a Redbird, Frisby will graduate from SJO.


Frisby will be reading a poem at SJO’s graduation on Sunday.


Graduation takes place at 3 p.m. at the high school.


Frisby, who was a defender on the SJO soccer team, said he would miss
SJO but he would take the valuable lessons he learned there with him
to college.


“I have learned to stand apart from the crowd, and to not lot other’s
perception of me mold me into the person that they want me to become,”
he said.

Frisby said he will also miss playing soccer with his teammates, the
camaraderie the sport offers and even going to practice every day.


“Becoming emotionally invested in a group of people each year is a
treasured memory of mine,” he said. “Soccer has taught me how to take criticism even when I think there is nothing left to be learned (there
always is), and how to become a better leader as I was a captain my
senior year. “

in Life
Banner
Related Posts

Remembering Dawn Van Buskirk: St. Joseph resident ‘admired and loved for who she truly was’

July 27, 2021

July 27, 2021

To those that knew her, Dawn Van Buskirk always had a smile on her face. “She was a happy person...

‘Her heart was golden’ — Short loses battle with cancer

June 10, 2019

June 10, 2019

Nine years ago, Sarah Logan Loomis raised her hand at a meeting of parents. The meeting was for her daughter,...

More than a coach: SJO to honor Duval with field dedication ceremony Friday night

August 19, 2021

August 19, 2021

An educator. A coach. A friend. A husband. A father. A community icon. On Friday night the community and high...

How I get it done… Todd Jacob

September 30, 2022

September 30, 2022

We are asking business owners to tell us about their daily routine and how they accomplish goals for their businesses....

10 Things You Don’t Know about me Nikki Setterdahl

December 8, 2020

December 8, 2020

For years, Nikki Setterdahl and her daughter Whitney have been bringing joy to teens at Barnes-Jewish Hospital through their project...

Project honoring service members to be continued

March 4, 2019

March 4, 2019

The SJO Service Member Project is being reinstated thanks to two local women. Mindy Reynolds and Lee Janusch want to...

Kids Say

April 16, 2019

April 16, 2019

Every week we ask five students from a local school to answer a question on a worksheet. This week the...

Local meteorologist’s love of weather started as a child

February 7, 2019

February 7, 2019

While the Internet may have people believing anyone with a computer can predict the weather, the former Director of the...

Kids Say

May 16, 2019

May 16, 2019

Every week we ask five students from a local school to answer a question on a worksheet. This week the...

Wheelhouse steps up to help community

August 19, 2020

August 19, 2020

Abbie Layden-Rogiers and her husband Ryan Rogiers have always wanted to help the community. The owners of The Wheelhouse in...

SJO community mourns death of Glenn Fisher: ‘He had a heart of gold’

January 12, 2021

January 12, 2021

Glenn Fisher liked to tease people. Whether he was telling the newly hired football coach at St. Joseph-Ogden High School...

A field of art

October 17, 2019

October 17, 2019

Call it art in progress. The fans at St. Joseph-Ogden High School always take note of the painted field, endzones,...

10 things you don’t know about me… Brad Krall

February 20, 2019

February 20, 2019

Every week we ask an area resident to share 10 interesting facts about themselves. This week it is Brad Krall,...

10 things you don’t know about me… Miss Sophia from Gallo Dance Studio

July 24, 2019

July 24, 2019

Every week we ask a village resident to share 10 fun facts about themselves. This week we caught up with...

Comments
Leave a Reply