H-ton Alum Hillary Hardardt Flourishes at Boston College
Hillary Hardardt is flourishing at Boston College. The Huntington High School Class of 2015 member has jumped out to a fast start in her freshman year.
“My fall semester was amazing at Boston College,” Ms. Hardardt said. “I settled into life here at school right away and couldn’t be happier with my decision. I made a great group of friends right from the start and I really enjoyed most of my classes. College is definitely different than I was expecting and the new responsibilities and workload have been challenging, but I think I’ve been able to manage it pretty well.”
The Huntington alum is currently taking Philosophy of the Person II, Fundamentals of Mathematics II, Literature Core, Family School and Society and Globalization II. “Some of these classes are fulfilling the core that Boston College requires and although I was skeptical at the start, I really love that this has opened my mind to taking some classes I would have never thought to take before,” Ms. Hardardt said.
The teenager is happy with her spring semester academic choices. “I am most excited about my Fundamentals of Math and Family School and Society classes,” Ms. Hardardt said. “Both of these classes are part of the Lynch School of Education, where I am working toward a double major of elementary education and math/computer science. It is so interesting to be in a class where we are not specifically learning how to do the math, but instead how to teach it to elementary school students.”
As a Huntington senior, Ms. Hardardt was vice president of the Math Honor Society, corresponding secretary of the Class of 2015 and a member of the National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, English Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Art Honor Society.
It didn’t take long for Ms. Hardardt to find her way around the college campus and the city of Boston. “Boston College has a beautiful and architecturally intricate campus,” she said. “As a college, I feel that there is the perfect balance of academics and fun. Being at a NCAA Division I school has been a huge change for me from high school. It is so great to be a part of the intense school spirit that runs throughout campus. I have had so much fun attending the football games in the fall and the hockey games this season.”
Like all college students, Ms. Hardardt went through a period of adjustment, transitioning from high school to a much larger setting. “The academics are hard, which is something that I don’t think I was completely prepared for, but with that said there is a healthy academic atmosphere here among students whereby I feel like everyone is looking out for the best interest of others,” she said.
During her years at Huntington, Ms. Hardardt played on the Blue Devil varsity tennis team, participated in Huntington’s Relay For Life and was an active member of the high school’s Key Club chapter.
Ms. Hardardt has jumped into various Boston College activities, including a tutoring program that has her working with a first grader from a nearby elementary school on a weekly basis. “I really look forward to spending time with her every week and have loved watching her grow over the course of the year,” the Huntington grad said. “This club was of interest to me because of my career intent of becoming an elementary school teacher in the future. I feel as though having even just this small amount of hands-on work with a student is helping to further validate my passion for teaching.”