Hannah Gardner is going to enjoy the moment today when she walks across the stage to accept her diploma as well as recognition for being a valedictorian.
It’s her reward for 13 years of hard work. Hours of studying and doing homework. Pushing herself to do more. Tracking her grades. Asking teachers for extra credit if she needed it.
“Finally! It’s like everything I’ve worked for has paid off. It just feels so good,” she said.
It won’t be long, though, before she’s working on new goals.
This fall, she’ll be headed to Florida State University to work on a double major in criminology and political science. Then, she has her sights on law school. Ideally, she’d like to work as an attorney for the ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of those whose civil rights have been violated.
“I have really big goals,” Gardner admitted.
She credits her work ethic to her parents, who both served in the military. Her mother, Angela Gardner, was a nurse in the U.S. Navy. Her dad, Jeff Gardner, a pilot in the Marines. She has two older sisters, Lindsay and Chloe. Chloe is attending the University of Kansas and has committed to the Marines.
“In the military, you are held to a high standard, so I grew up with high expectations,” she said. “I like to push those expectations even higher.”
To that end, Gardner doesn’t procrastinate. She believes arriving 15 minutes early to an appointment is “on time.” She’s very independent. She’s competitive.
And she really enjoys busting stereotypes.
After all, she’s a city girl who grew up on the East Coast.
In high school, she joined FFA. She earned a first-place award at State FFA in dairy judging.
“It’s so weird because I beat all these people who grew up in the country,” she said. “Being from the city, they didn’t expect much from me. I love challenging myself. I think that’s how you propel yourself forward in life.”
In addition to FFA, she’s also been involved in volleyball, basketball, track, FBLA and National Honor Society.
IT HASN’t always been easy, though.
When she entered high school, Gardner set the goal of earning all As.
“You have to make that decision early” and pay close attention to your grades, she said.
Several times, she found herself nearly losing the coveted “All A” status. History classes with Travis Hermstein and math classes with Dianne Kauth were especially challenging, but they gave her opportunities to make up the work or earn extra credit.
