Becoming a welder, firefighter, neuroscientist, and member of the armed services — these are the goals of four students who shared their experiences of how they found a path to their futures at a recent John Stark School Board meeting.
“These students all have different backgrounds and experiences, but they all have John Stark in common and they all found a direction for their futures while here,” said John Stark School Counselor Karen Merrill-Antle. “We could not be more proud of them for their accomplishments and for their willingness to share their stories.”
Brooke Hurlburt came to John Stark toward the end of freshman year from an unsupported environment in New York. “Before I left New York, a relative told me I’d never go to college. I arrived here with no confidence and little hope for success,” said Hurlburt.
Determined to build her confidence, once Hurburt arrived at John Stark she started talking to counselors, teachers, and peers. Hurlburt recalls that she was given so much positive feedback and support, that once she let that sink in, she knew she was capable of great things. Running through her mind was the phrase she often heard from school counselors — find what you love and are good at — and did just that when she found a welding class at JSRHS.
“As soon as I lit that torch, I knew that was where I belonged. My mind stops when I weld and I only think about what I’m doing at that moment,” said Hurlburt. Now in the second half of her senior year, she’s taking advanced welding and will attend Manchester Community College for their welding program in the fall. “I am living my passion. I have found my future,” she concluded.
Henniker student Evan Lamphere says when he got to high school he just did his work and passed it in not thinking about his future. But then he heard about the Concord Regional Technical Center or CRTC and applied to take classes there in his junior year. Students at John Stark can apply to attend the more than 12 programs offered at CRTC typically beginning in their sophomore year.
Evan chose Emergency Services as he recalled how much he enjoyed learning about firefighting in the Henniker Fire Department’s Explorers program when he was in middle school.
“I’m so glad I chose Emergency Services because I learned so much and made new friends. I am so thankful for this opportunity for John Stark students as I now know what I want to do with my future,” commented Lamphere. He plans to attend Colorado Mountain College to study Fire Science and become a firefighter/EMT.
Kira Bergeron of Henniker shared how she went from wanting to graduate early to pursue her love of travel to staying all four years to explore more things available to her in high school. She started her journey when she took a psychology class in her sophomore year to increase her credit load for early graduation. “The teacher kept me engaged and helped me discover my love for psychology,” said Bergeron who also went on the school-sponsored trip to Spain that same year. “The trip to Spain ended up being one of the most memorable and amazing experiences of my life. It helped me realize that I wasn’t ready to graduate early because I wanted to explore more things in high school.”
The following winter she worked as a ski instructor teaching a boy with autism. This experience led to narrowing her psychology focus and determining that she wanted to study neuroscience to learn more about autism. Bergeron will combine her love of travel with her desire to study by attending the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in the fall.
Cameron Lombard of Weare always knew he wanted to stay with the “family business” and go into the military, as serving his country is a legacy he is proud to carry on. While at John Stark he gravitated to the opportunities at CRTC and enrolled in their criminal justice track gaining some valuable skills and knowledge to support his desire to enter the military. As a theater kid, Cameron also took advantage of the theater program while at CRTC, fulfilling his desire to meaningfully contribute to his school community. Lombard has enlisted in the Army and will leave right after graduation for basic training.