Dakota Ryan Morris
Dakota Morris is a cowboy at heart. Morris wears boots and jeans to school each day, dresses up with a big belt buckle and button up shirt for picture day, and ropes on the weekends with his father.
He said in competition his dad ropes the head and he get the heels.
“Me and my dad are alike with the same attitude and everything,” said Dakota. “It’s easy to work with my dad because we both know what to do.”
Dakota said they make a good team and have won $300 in a rodeo from roping.
Dakota said he played sports all of junior high but once high school started, he has worked after school jobs initially to save up for a vehicle. He said his current job is working at Cheyenne Feeders driving the feed truck and riding horses through the cattle pens to check on the cattle.
Morris said he’d like to go into welding after graduating high school.
“I took a welding class and realized it was satisfying,” he said. “It’s not easy but it is kind of an easy job to get because young kids don’t want to weld anymore because it’s not what’s popular.”
Morris said he plans to go to Tulsa Welding School in Oklahoma.
“Mostly how much it pays encouraged me to go into welding,” said Dakota who said welders make between $19-$25 per hour.
Morris learned to be responsible at an early age.
“I had to watch my younger brother and sister sixth through eighth grade after school and when my mom had to work on the weekends and stuff,” Dakota said. “It has made me realize that I wanted to be someone they wanted to look up to. I stay away from drugs and work hard for stuff I want to make sure that I’m a good role model for them.”
Senior Seth Hilt said one of Dakota's biggest dreams is to be a welder and a rancher.
“And one of his biggest fears is becoming like someone he hates,” Hilt said.
Dakota has lived in Saint Francis since hew as three years old. Senior Jayce Nider said he has known Dakota for two years.
“He likes to go home after school and work on his pickup,” he said.
