Natalie Hartmann’s Ready for a New Adventure
When Natalie Hartmann walked off the stage in the Huntington High School auditorium at the 148th commencement exercises, she did it with her head held high after four incredible years packed with all the school has to offer.
“I love Huntington,” Ms. Hartmann said. “I mean, who doesn't? We've got a fantastic school with every opportunity available to us. I'm a very soft-spoken person but Huntington High has provided a great community of staff and students that has made me feel comfortable and at home over the last few years. All of the programs offered by Huntington made my learning experience even better.”
Ms. Hartmann will begin classes at Wake Forest University in the fall. There’s no doubt she will find success there. “While I couldn't possibly be any more excited to head off to Wake Forest, there still is a part of me that will miss Huntington High and the great things that happened there, that I learned, that I accomplished, and the friends I made,” she said. “I may be going all the way to North Carolina but I'll most definitely be back because I couldn't handle being away from Huntington, my home, for too long.”
In a year crammed with activities, Ms. Hartmann cited Huntington’s career internship program as “one of the greatest experiences” she had as a senior. She interned with Jack Abrams Intermediate School teachers Jim Lauter and Jason Suarez. “I observed the classes and was able to get a lot of one-on-one time with the students so that I was able to help them with difficult concepts or anything else they were having trouble with. I also taught several lessons and was able to take on a lot of responsibilities in the classrooms. I couldn't be happier that I chose to do this because all of the kids I met were fantastic and unique and I learned so much from them. It's not even possible to describe the impact that each one of them had on me. I would encourage everyone to take on an internship. It's an amazing experience and it seriously influenced my career decisions for the future.”
At Huntington, Ms. Hartmann held down memberships in the National, Spanish and Art honor societies, serving as vice-president of the latter. She is also a longtime Huntington Historical Society volunteer.
Despite a sometimes crushing schedule, she also found time to participate on the varsity tennis team. “I loved being with my friends and playing a fantastic sport at the same time,” Ms. Hartmann said. “It really taught me responsibility as I had to save time for my schoolwork in between the constant tennis matches and practices, but it was well worth my time. Mr. [Jamie] Fishlow was a truly supportive coach. I thoroughly enjoyed playing tennis and even on an off day he made me feel the best I could about the situation and allowed me to become the best I could be by pushing me hard and keeping me motivated and enthusiastic.”
Remarkable Academic Record
Over the past four years, Ms. Hartmann built a remarkable academic record. “I had the great opportunity of taking 11 AP courses in high school,” she said. “Crazy, right? But, all of the late nights, ridiculously long assignments and impossible exams were most definitely worth it. I can't believe I took it upon myself to take all of these classes. People tell me I'm crazy all of the time. But it isn't like I was pressured into it. I saw the opportunities that my school was offering and I felt it would be a waste not to take advantage of everything my school has to offer.”
From courses and honor societies, to sports and the internship program, there was a lot for Ms. Hartmann to like about her high school career. “What else do I love about Huntington?” she asked. “Most definitely the teachers. I seriously can't begin to describe how helpful, caring, fun, and knowledgeable they are. I have developed a strong relationship with many of my teachers and I am going to miss them very much. I don't know how many teachers there are that will be there for you 24/7 but I have to say that Ms. [Debbie] Mellon, whom I have only just met this year, had a huge impact on my senior year. I took her AP Government class and while I thought I'd hate it, as politics are usually my weakness, it ended up being one of my favorite classes! I could go there for anything, for an extra study session before the test or just to go and talk. We ended up having a few girls get together nearly every day to talk about whatever was going on, and Ms. Mellon always welcomed us into her class. How often can you find someone that is so welcoming like that?”
Wake Forest Beckons
Is she ready to tackle the challenges college poses? “I've had so much work in high school that I'm pretty sure that any amount of work that Wake Forest gives me won't come close to what I've faced in high school,” Ms. Hartmann said. But, the most rewarding part of the AP classes isn't the knowledge or the college credit; it has most definitely been spending time with the other AP students. It's weird but we all bond over the assignments, you really wouldn't believe who you end up talking to at 3 AM before a paper is due. All of us who started out as a bunch of freshmen have grown up with each other, not to compete and see who's the best, but to help each other along the way.”
The new Huntington grad said she’s “extremely proud” to be in Wake Forest’s freshmen class. “A year ago we visited the campus and as soon as I arrived my entire family saw me with a huge smile on my face and we knew it was the college for me,” Ms. Hartmann said. “I'm not sure as to what I'm studying yet. I was set on elementary teaching, and while I still do think that I might do that in the future, I don't know for sure yet. One of my passions is learning new languages. So far I've only studied Spanish (six years) and Latin (one year.) I also know about ten Polish words as well! But in the future, I plan on learning all of the romance languages, as well as several others. It's a big undertaking but I love to learn about new cultures and I think languages are so interesting, so I know that there is a big possibility that I will be concentrating on language studies at Wake.”
Will be Missed
When September rolls around, Ms. Hartmann is sure to be missed at Huntington High School, but she won’t be forgotten. She’s ready for a new adventure, and like she did in high school, she plans to make the most of her college years. “My dream is to study abroad as many times as I possibly can while attending Wake Forest,” she said. “I know I'll be headed to Spain and hopefully Poland and a few other European countries as well so that I can learn as much as I can.”
Looking back, Ms. Hartmann has a warm feeling about the past four years and the relationships she forged. “It was a great experience being at Huntington, and I'd like to point out a few teachers that really had an impact on me, but I can't because I'd end up listing so many of my teachers,” she said. “I can't possibly pick a favorite as there have been so many that have supported me constantly throughout high school.”
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