Many seniors are eager to walk across the stage and complete their high school journey. Some students will be heading off to college, while others will be pursuing different paths. Over the past four years, the majority of seniors have ensured they earn all their credits and maintain a strong GPA. For most students, this would not be possible without support from friends and family.
John Hawver, a senior at Loy Norrix, stands ready to embrace the challenges of college life. A Knight since his freshman year, Hawver has pursued his accomplishments. He excels as a cross-country runner, track athlete, and pianist, with a future at the University of Michigan. Hawver has also benefited from a supportive network of his mom and dad.
“I don’t think I could have believed in myself and had the confidence and drive to succeed without the support of my parents,” said Hawver. “My mom does everything for me and my siblings. Her support allows me to dream big and do what I like doing, which I’m so grateful for.”
According to The Benefits of Comprehensive Support Systems for High School Students, written by Communities In Schools Jacksonville FL, “comprehensive support systems provide academic guidance and resources that help students improve their grades and stay on track in school. With personalized attention, students can address learning gaps and develop the study skills they need for success.”
Throughout his high school years, Hawver received a lot of support from his mother and father, who encouraged him to give his best effort. He became involved in extracurricular activities such as Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), Link Crew, cross country, and the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony. During his sophomore year, Hawver began taking Advanced Placement (AP) U.S history, and continued with AP chemistry and AP physics in his junior year. During this time, Hawver took the SAT and earned a score of 1520. In his senior year, he continued challenging himself by taking AP government, AP biology, and AP calculus.
“I always just made sure I kept my grades up and understood what was being taught, so I think through hard work, that kind of prepared me to where I am now,” said Hawver.
Senior Zelda Molitor is an accomplished student as well. She began challenging herself early by enrolling in the Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center (KAMSC) in ninth grade. During her sophomore year, she took AP U.S. History. In her junior year, she enrolled in AP language and composition, AP biology and AP government, and she achieved a SAT score of 1330. In her senior year, she decided to take AP Chemistry, AP Statistics, AP Calculus and AP Psychology. However, her demanding course load created stress, making it very important for her to have a support system.
“If I’m stressed out about any assignment or projects, I usually go to my friends to talk about [it], and get my mind off of it, so that helps me,” said Molitor. “Having my friends there to support me keeps me going.”
Molitor believes that the support she receives from her loved ones inspires her to perform at her best. She often feels stressed with her KAMSC assignments and initially doubts her abilities. However, when her parents review her work and provide feedback, it motivates her to improve.
“They help me with a lot of assignments, like reading over my essays,” said Molitor. “That’s helped me to be able to do my best and know that they will always [be] there to help me if I need it. That also pushes me to just try to do my best. I learned that I belong and I can do it and I’m capable of doing hard things.”
The social support that students received has enhanced academic resilience and encouraged them to be better students. For students like Hawver and Molitor, this support is invaluable and has made the stress of high school more manageable.
