article by Stephanie Hobby | photos by Ashley Williams

When you meet Kylie Prill, her easygoing, down-to-earth nature might catch you off guard. With a 4.36 cumulative GPA, a full schedule of honors and AP courses, varsity letters in track and field, leadership roles in multiple clubs, a thriving small business, and a heart for community service, Kylie’s calm demeanor isn’t what you’d expect from this year’s Simply Amazing Teen.

When asked what her best friend from middle school might say about her, Kylie replied: “It would probably be a mix of things, probably a lot about the fun and goofy side of me, just because we have a good time together,” Kylie tells me. “But you know, she also sees the serious, ‘I get things done’ side of me, so she would probably talk about my work ethic.”

And that work ethic is remarkable. According to Lewis Polkow, her AP Government and Politics teacher and track and field coach, Kylie never wavers in her drive to improve, both on and off the field. In his letter recommending her for Simply Amazing Teen, he shared:

“It was clear upon meeting Kylie that she is a driven student athlete who seeks to achieve at the highest level both athletically and academically. Kylie is the type of student athlete who approaches every practice as another key opportunity to improve. She has used this excellent work ethic to earn two varsity track letters in the javelin, in addition to being named the MVP of the freshman volleyball team and competing in the Big Sky State Games for the past three years,” he wrote. “In addition to her athletic pursuits, Kylie also embodies excellence in her academics and extracurricular involvement.”

Her involvement outside the classroom is just as impressive. Heading into her senior year at Skyview High School, Kylie will serve as:

• Public Relations Officer for Business Professionals of America
• Program Coordinator for the National Honor Society
• Student Council Secretary
• Member of DECA, the Key Club, and the Intercultural Exchange Club
• One of two school store managers

It’s apparent that she is energized by staying busy and finds joy in being in school. “I honestly enjoy high school a lot. It's just it's so fun because it's more freedom, but also, you get the chance to really show what you can do in academics you like. You get to pick whether you take an honors class or an AP class,” an opportunity Kylie says she always takes. “And I really like having times where I can go talk to my teachers and build strong relationships with them by going in at lunch.”

Despite her busy schedule at school and her business, she finds time to volunteer with a range of service organizations. She has logged over 200 hours of service for the Teacher Convention, Saturday Live, Pack the Place in Pink, the Kiwanis Club, the Salvation Army, and a local Vacation Bible School.

Oh, and she’s also a small business owner. As part of Skyview’s 406 Class, she founded Yellowstone Leather Creations and sells her leather goods at craft fairs in the area.

She credits her family, especially her mom, for instilling in her such drive and zest for life. “I've learned a lot from both my parents, and I have a really close relationship with my mom. And any worry or concern I have, I just talk to her, and she just helps encourage me,” she said. “My sister and my dad help keep me going, too. They all have different ways of helping me continue even when I don’t want to.”

Kylie also finds support in her friendships. “They understand what I'm going through, because a lot of my friends are in the same situation. So being able to have them, you’re able to push each other to do your best.”

And, Kylie is grateful for the mentors who have supported her along the way. “My coaches and teachers, I had a really awesome coach, Coach Polkow. He was the best. You know, he always made sure that you would always do your best in everything you did,” she said.

As she heads into her final year of high school, her schedule is already jam-packed with challenging coursework. She’s taking AP psychology, AP government, AP literature, college algebra, college intro to stats, and college public speaking, along with an environmental science course that she says sounds really fun.

She was surprised but thrilled to receive the Simply Amazing Teen Scholarship Award. “It’s such an honor. Billings is very competitive, and there are very talented students here. When I got selected, I was so happy that night.”

Kylie got a head start exploring career paths through MedStart, a Montana Area Health Education Center program held at Montana State University in Bozeman. Designed to introduce high school students to a variety of healthcare careers, the program was a perfect fit. Kylie loved the hands-on experience and left with a clearer sense of direction. “We learned a whole bunch of medical skills and survival skills. We learned how to put in an IV and unpack and repack a wound. Then they taught us about the different types of careers in the medical field, and we got to do some job shadowing. So it really helped me kind of narrow down what I want to do,” she said.

Now, she’s considering a career in either physical therapy or nursing and is leaning toward attending MSU, where she’ll have the flexibility to explore both paths.

Think like Kylie! Kylies Top Reasons to Give Back to Your Community: 

• I get a lot from the community.
• The community supports our schools in many ways. School is just such an amazing opportunity for kids to learn and figure out what they want to do.
• Teachers are there to help us succeed.
• Volunteers invest in our school for things like the Career Fair.
• Giving back is just nice because I get so much from the community.
• When I volunteer for the church or something with children, I want to be that person who encourages a younger person.
• I can talk to my teachers about things that aren't related to school, but I just need to talk about. I want to be that person for someone else, and I like passing it along.

Originally printed in the September 2025 issue of Simply Local Magazine

Never miss an issue, check out SLM's digital editions here!  

related articles: