December Students of the Month

Harrison High School proudly selects senior Niaomi Pierman as one of this month’s Harrison Press Students of the Month. 

Niaomi is heavily involved in a wide variety of activities here at Harrison including soccer, Hope Squad, and DECA. Sandy Kauffmann, Hope Squad Advisor, says, Niaomi is an exceptionally bright and dedicated student.  “She is in the top 10% of her class and has a 4.3 GPA. She has maintained this level of high achievement despite significant personal loss showing that Niaomi approaches challenges with a positive attitude and resilience.” 

One example of Niaomi’s resilience and passion has been a project that she put forward this year in honor of Suicide Awareness Month. Kauffman said that “Niaomi dreamt up the idea of having t-shirts made for the entire student body, hosting a school wide speaker-led assembly, and spreading the message “Wildcats Matter” to our entire community.” Many students have good ideas, but Naiomi went even further. “Niaomi led an initiative for a “Miracle Minute” to help offset the cost of the t-shirts, bringing in $2000 in just one minute!” Kauffman said. 

Niaomi’s ability to inspire and motivate her peers is truly commendable, and she has made a positive impact on our school community. Kelli Bill, Harrison soccer coach, further speaks on Niaomi’s ability, “Niaomi exemplifies the ideal student-athlete. She balances multiple AP courses while achieving excellent grades, participating in athletics, and dedicating free time to her job. Niaomi sets high expectations for herself both academically and in athletics. She inspires her teammates to perform at a high level by encouraging them to put in hard work on a daily basis. Her friendly demeanor and concern for others serve as a remarkable model for those around her.”  

Niaomi’s advice to other students is this: “give yourself the grace you give to others.” We are so proud of Niaomi and honored to have her be a Harrison Wildcat!

Harrison High School proudly chooses senior Joyce Abrams as one of this month’s Harrison Press Students of the Month. 

Joyce is very invested in her classes and is a hard working student, even going on to graduate early this December. She truly exemplifies the core values at Harrison. She has taken ownership of her education, and her teachers nominated her because of their trust in and respect for her.

Melanie Siemer, her Calculus teacher, says that Joyce is a student who “truly strives to understand the content covered in class. She often works ahead and takes initiative to attempt difficult problems. She is polite and respectful and a pleasure to have in class!” 

Eric Weber, her Public Speaking teacher, one of two teachers who nominated Joyce, says he nominated her “because she is so conscientious. She is graduating early this year and has absolutely busted her tail to get her requirements taken care of… but not just taken care of… she wants her work to be stellar!  She has done an amazing job on all her assignments, showing a level of pride and maturity seldom seen in these halls!” He called her body of work in his class “top-notch.” 

Jane Hinterlong, her English teacher and co-nominator, says that, “The work she submits . . .  is high quality!  Everything she completes for English and Public Speaking is always well-done; clearly she puts much time and thought into all of her assignments.  She is quick to ask for additional help (but does very well on her own).” 

Joyce’s advice to other students is to “work hard and always strive to be your best self.” We are so proud of Joyce and know she will go on to do great things.