Each high school senior has a story.
The Weekly Herald each year spotlights three graduating seniors based on recommendations from the school community.
These students inspire. They faced down challenges and are fighting to stay on top. They are motivated. They have mentors and feel blessed to have a support system.
Matter-of-fact mom
Lynnwood High School
What can be a roadblock for some teenage moms, Monica Hurtado, 18, is turning into educational inspiration.
After graduation, Hurtado will attend Edmonds Community College before transferring to Bellevue College. She plans to become an ultrasound technician.
When she was pregnant, the images on the ultrasound screen captivated Hurtado. And the idea of being there for a thrilling moment in a person’s life is appealing.
“It will be exciting to tell people the sex of their baby,” she said.
The young mother juggles schoolwork, an after-school job and being a parent.
At school, Hurtado is a copy editor for the yearbook staff. The role of paying close attention to detail and delegating assignments to her peers fits Hurtado well.
While Hurtado attends classes, her aunt watches her daughter, 17-month-old Analiyah. Beating the odds, Hurtado will graduate on time, a nod to her drive and determination.
“When you really have to do it, you just do it,” she said calmly.
Being a mom is fun, for the most part. “It’s amazing how much energy a little thing can have,” she said.
It’s true when people say children grow up so fast, Hurtado said. Her daughter is almost 2 years old and it feels like she just turned 1.
Hurtado and her boyfriend easily slide into English and Spanish while talking to their daughter to ensure she grows up bilingual.
Hurtado looks up to her parents, whom she says are her mentors. She admits it was scary telling them she was pregnant.
“They have always helped me with everything,” she said.
Married for more than 20 years, Hurtado’s parents have set an example for her and her boyfriend to follow for their young family.
“We work hard so she has both of her parents together at the same time,” Hurtado said. “In the end, my parents always work it out.”
Music man
Meadowdale High School
When you share a last name with a music legend, it almost feels like destiny to carve your own path in music.
Nathaniel Hendrix, 18, loves music.
“I grew up surrounded by music,” he said. “Music can reach a person’s heart in a way that is unusual. It means a lot to me.”
It helps when talent runs through the family.
Hendrix’s father, John, is the choir director at Shorewood High School in Shoreline. His mother, Randi Teigland-Hendrix, is a professional pianist. His older brothers majored in music in college.
To his own credit, Hendrix plays the trumpet, guitar and piano and sings.
“I’ve been singing my entire life,” he said.
The musician took first place in four categories at the state solo and ensemble contest in Ellensburg this spring. He competed in the baritone vocal solo, trumpet solo, small men’s ensemble duet and small brass ensemble categories.
Hendrix will attend St. Olaf College, a private Lutheran school in Minnesota known for its reputable music program. His dream is to become a music educator. He is considering turning his interest in the German language into his minor.
“I’m nervous and excited, but mostly excited,” he said. “It’s nerve-wracking to be going so far away.”
For his senior project, Hendrix took his father’s place and conducted the Seattle Children’s Chorus’ men’s chorus during a June 3 performance at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lynnwood. Hendrix has been singing with the Seattle Children’s Chorus since he was 6 years old.
“It’s more complicated than it looks,” he said. “People make it look easy. But there’s a lot behind the technicality and making it clear of what you want.”
His mother has been Hendrix’s accompanist during his performances.
“I feel lots of support from my parents when I perform,” he said. “I feel very blessed.”
In the classroom, Hendrix is enrolled in college-level Advanced Placement courses in calculus, music theory and European history and has taken honors classes throughout high school.
Hendrix said he will miss Meadowdale’s music program and teachers, but he’s ready to move on.
“It’ll be nice to have that section of my life done,” he said.
Mr. Motivation
Edmonds-Woodway High School
Alex Springer’s parents set standards, but the 18-year-old said he then set them higher.
“I was self-motivated and held myself accountable,” he said, making it sound like no big deal.
Springer will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall to study biological engineering.
“I’m a little scared,” he admitted. “It’s a really challenging, academically oriented school.”
He looks forward to being surrounded by intelligent people and innovative thinkers, he said.
A summer internship at the University of Washington helped steer Springer to his career path. During the internship, Springer was a research assistant and worked alongside experts in his desired field.
“I wanted to take that one step further and answer questions,” he said. “Engineers have problems and figure out how to solve them.”
The senior is an International Baccalaureate diploma candidate. The IB program is an internationally driven curriculum that promotes critical thinking and a well-rounded education.
Springer competed on the cross country, soccer and swim teams, as well as the Hi-Q team, an academic quiz competition. He also serves as student representative on the Edmonds City Council, a role he enjoys. “Many of us can’t vote and our input isn’t taken into account at City Hall,” he said.
Juggling so many activities requires a lot of time-management and planning.
“I want to maintain a strong work ethic even though ‘senioritis’ is in full throttle,” he said.
Cementing Springer’s drive was the tragic loss of his older brother, Tyler Young, last winter. Young left behind a 6-year-old son, Dune.
“My brother meant a lot to me,” Springer said, remembering rides to soccer practice in his brother’s Ford Bronco. They would blast rock music and it made him feel cool pulling up to practice with his brother.
“My brother was a role model for me and I want to be there for my nephew,” Springer said.
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