Each week, #SpanningtheNeed will present an “Inspirational Person of the Week’ and have a “Q & A” with one of its many gifted individuals and/or groups who are willing to go out of their own way to help others.
As the spring season blooms with vibrant colors and the promise of new beginnings, it’s a time of celebration for many communities. Among the myriad of joyous occasions, one particularly special event stands out – the graduation of high school seniors. This year, as we bid farewell, our local area high schools are taking a step further and Spanning the Need is honoring and spotlighting the achievements of these bright young minds. This week’s featured is Liam Kerry from Hubbard High School.
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Name: Liam Kerr
School: Hubbard High School
Class: 2024
GPA: 3.85
Bio
Liam X. Kerr is a Senior at Hubbard High School and an avid Honors/College student. He is a member of the Art Club, Wind Ensemble, ASL Club, NHS, Jazz Band, Pep Band, and am the secretary of both the Marching Band and the Drama Club. Liam is also a Martial Arts assistant instructor over the last decade, is aspiring antique collector, musician, and student of Art.
What are your plans after graduation?
I am going to attend The Ohio State University, with a planned double major in Political Science/Philosophy and a minor in history. This is towards an eventual career in Law.
What is your favorite class?
My favorite class is AP US History, both because of my passion for the general subject, lecture-based instruction, and my extreme appreciation for my teacher (Mr. Tom King).
What accomplishments during your high school journey are you most proud of, and how do you feel they have shaped you as an individual?
Of all the accomplishments I have been privileged enough to make throughout high school, I take the most pride in all of the times I have been able to disregard the opinions of people who do not respect me. One of my most fundamental goals in life is to maintain a positive impact on the people around me. However, especially in a high school environment, it has been easy for me to find people who, no matter how high I hold them in my regard, hold me with no such approbation. The recognition that pursuing any such thing is inherently ridiculous has been necessary in my development, both in generating self-respect and as well as spending more of my energy on those who value me as much as I value them.
Beyond academics, what extracurricular activities, volunteering in the community or passions have played a crucial role in your high school life, and how have they influenced your future goals?
I spend most of my free time in extracurricular/volunteer activities. Principal among which is my position as an assistant-instructor at Young’s Martial Arts (West Middlesex, PA). I generally teach there around 8 hours a week, wherein I lead self defense classes, help with self defense seminars, create lesson plans, perform one-on-one instruction with both adults and children, and assist in the construction of a meaningful learning environment. These past 12 years, I have been raised and matured in said environment, and it has made me a person of strength, great discipline, strong will, and a teacher in all parts of my life.
I am secretary and student-director of my high school Drama Club. This outlet has allowed me to make lifelong friendships, serve as a student leader, and explore a very thorough passion for acting in our fall plays and spring musicals.
I am also secretary of the Marching Band, wherein I am a performer of large-scale musical pieces while physically acting. I have spent the past year composing a book on 100 years of band history, and additionally participate in the higher-level Jazz and Pep Bands. Like the Drama Club, this experience has been fundamental in allowing me to explore a musical passion while creating lasting bonds.
I am a special researcher for the Hubbard HS Yearbook class, where I have been in charge of collecting, interpreting, and designing the presentation of information from all 100 volumes of the yearbook ahead of the 2024 100th edition. I have an extreme love for history and antiques, and this position as a documentarian has not only been a fun experience, but an experience that has eloped me determine that document-based research is something I want to pursue in my eventual career.
I also hold membership with the Art Club, NHS, and ASL (American Sign Language) Club. I regularly volunteer myself to friends and family for landscaping services, and have experience as a Brookfield United Methodist Food Pantry Volunteer.
What is the most memorable moment in your scholastic career?
Standing, cramped and in costume, behind a pair of oversized doors while overture music played for the Drama Club’s Fall 2021 production of “Clue,” my first play.
As you reflect on your time in high school, is there a teacher or mentor who made a lasting impression on you? What made their impact so meaningful?
The high school teacher with the greatest impact on me is the aforementioned Mr. Tom King, no contest. His profound ability to teach, personability, clear investment in what he does, wit, and his ability to hold a well supported and meaningful discussion with his students in the form of an actual conversation are but some of the things that I hold him in high regard for. It is refreshing to learn topics as a discourse, as opposed to the restrictive and mildly un-human feeling of the “I ask the questions and you answer” or “this will be on the quiz” feeling of a traditional classroom. Moreover, despite the fact that the entire end goal of an AP course is an all-encompassing test, never once have I felt like he was teaching me simply to pass an exam. It is especially rare to find someone who is directly interested in teaching beyond the requirements set, and equally rare to find a teacher who is fun and open-minded while still maintaining control over a classroom. A combination of both, however, is something I have only found in Mr. King, and for that, he receives my utmost appreciation.
What is your favorite food?
Homemade pizza (toppings vary, but it is always amazing).
What song best describes you or is the soundtrack to your life?
“Summer’s Almost Gone” (The Doors).
Do you have a field of study already chosen when you go to college? Why that field?
Law, principally because of my father’s occupation in that field (and my experience with it thus), my propensity for writing, interest in critical thought, love for history, and interest in legal interpretation.
Who is your role model?
Oscar Wilde (in a philosophical sense).
If there was one person you would want to meet, past or present, who would it be and why?
My great grandfather (Claude Brown). He passed away seven years before I was born, and I have been told my entire life that we would have gotten on amazingly well.
A favorite quote by which you live.
“I can resist everything except for temptation.” – Oscar Wilde.
