The Last Four Years Have Been Great
Kristin Hartmann has enjoyed one of the most remarkable experiences of any Huntington High School senior. She's earned varsity letters in three different sports, travelled with classmates to New Orleans to repair areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina, edited this year's yearbook and served as an intern in the high school photography program.
"I have been in the Huntington School District since kindergarten and enjoyed every minute of it," Ms. Hartmann said. "The last four years at Huntington High School have been great! I've made so many friends through the years."
A fine student, Ms. Hartmann was honored as a Distinguished Senior during a banquet in the school gym last month. "I have really enjoyed all that Huntington High School has to offer, such as its clubs and sports."
Ms. Hartmann has been an expert at balancing all the many elements of her life. She's developed a tight circle of friends and is popular with both fellow Class of 2012 members and the high school's teaching corps. "Kristin always has a smile on her face when I see her in the hall," classmate Brielle Blatt said. "She's always well dressed and looks put together."
The teenager has been a Natural Helper since her freshman year and has also participated in Huntington's Habitat for Humanity chapter for the past four years, building a strong relationship with club advisor and school dean Robert Gilmor.
It was with the Habitat for Humanity club that Ms. Hartmann travelled to New Orleans as a junior to help rebuild homes destroyed by one of the most ferocious hurricanes in the last 100 years.
"This trip was one of the highlights of high school for me," the senior said. "I really became close with the teachers and students on the trip. It was pretty cool that we were all there together to help the less fortunate. Mr. Gilmor was the chaperone for the Habitat trip that I went on, but he is also the leader of the Natural Helpers club. He has been a really positive mentor for me throughout school and I'm grateful for his guidance."
Ms. Hartmann was inducted into the National Honor Society as a junior and has been a member of the Key club for the past two years. She's the senior editor of 2012 edition of The Huntingtonian. "Every free period I had I was working on the yearbook," the teenager said. "I really enjoyed learning about the software program InDesign, that helped us make the yearbook. I liked the ability to organize the yearbook, edit it and attend school events to make sure that we had all of the necessary pictures."
Ms. Hartmann played on the varsity tennis and softball teams throughout high school and was even on the varsity fencing team for a few years. "Sports were the best part of my high school career," she said. "I made so many friends on teams, especially on softball. We love to play the sport and goof around! I always looked forward to our games."
Asked to name her favorite high school class and Ms. Hartmann doesn't hesitate to say it's photography. She's established a close relationship with art teacher Pamela Piffard, who heads the high school photo program and who accepted the teenager as an itern.
"In tenth grade I took Intro to Photo, in eleventh grade it was Advanced Photo and I'm currently an intern for an intro class," Ms. Hartmann said. "Part of the reason why this class was so much fun was because of Ms.Piffard who was so fun and cool! This year as an intern I was able to do a project where I ironed my photography onto a canvas. My picture won a ribbon in our art show!"
The teenager will head to High Point University in North Carolina at the end of the summer. Ms. Hartmann is undecided on an academic major. "I'm so nervous to be moving onto the next chapter in my life, but am so excited for the amazing opportunities available at my university," she said. "I hope to join many clubs there, including club softball."
Ms. Hartmann has a bit of advice for incoming Huntington freshmen: "Always try your best at what you are doing and always be yourself. Have the best four years at Huntington High School and take advantage of all it has to offer."