Elizabeth Hartman
Parents: Leslie and Eric Hartman
GPA: 4.192
Favorite Subject: I love band, but my favorite core curriculum subject is math.

Plans after graduation: I plan to attend either the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan or the College or Architecture and Design at Lawrence Technological University in the fall to study architectural design.

Extracurricular Activities: I have been heavily involved in the band program at OHS. I have performed with the marching band, wind ensemble, and pit orchestra, as well as in the annual joint performances between the symphony orchestra and a select few musicians from the wind ensemble.

Outside Interests and Hobbies: When I’m not practicing baton twirling or one of my instruments, I like to spend my time completing various arts and crafts, reading, or playing video games. I especially enjoy painting and sculpting small figurines, fantasy novels, and video games.

What did you learn about yourself during lockdown? Living through the shutdown, I learned just how much I appreciate the social aspect of school. I missed seeing my friends in class everyday, and found it a lot harder to stay in touch with friends that I wasn’t as close with.

How have you grown as an individual during your time at OHS? I have grown much more confident and outgoing during my years at OHS. I also believe that I have become much more aware of the world around me, especially in terms of social, political, and environmental issues on both the national and international stage.

What change in the world would you make?
If I could make one change in the world right now, it would be to normalize the spectrum of political beliefs. The political climate has become so dramatically polarized that our society has been split in half. In reality, I believe, people’s beliefs fall along a spectrum of viewpoints across the countless issues that arise for debate. Although people may have beliefs on both sides of the spectrum across various issues, it seems we are forced to choose one side and stick with it across every issue. I feel as though breaking down this polarization and accepting people’s wide ranges of beliefs would be a viable first step towards calming the state of political unrest we are currently in.

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?
Work hard and strive for your absolute best in all your classes, but make sure that you still make time for trying out new extracurricular activities, spending time with friends, and your hobbies. There are so many things fighting for your time, so it’s all about finding the balance that works for you.

My greatest achievement so far has been:
I believe that my greatest achievement so far has been how many college credits I’ve earned through OSEC and AP courses. After this semester I will have earned 89 college credits between Rochester Community College, Macomb Community College, and AP Calc 1 and 2.

I look forward to contributing to my community by:
Though I do not know exactly which area of architectural design I would like to pursue yet, I am excited by the numerous possibilities my planned career will present to me. Whether it be creating community buildings that become significant in historical and cultural manners or designing affordable housing options, architectural design presents many avenues for bettering our communities.