What’s recently happened?
Forty of the Hammond Academy of Science and Technology (HAST) seniors volunteered to help the Chicago Food Depository pack food for Illinois residents.
“The field trip was a fantastic success! The seniors worked hard, enjoyed themselves, and made us incredibly proud. The supervisor at the Greater Chicago Food Depository pulled us aside to share how impressed they were by our students' behavior, maturity, and teamwork,” said Gloria Valdez, a class sponsor of 2025.
The seniors ended with 11,319 pounds of apples. In total, it equaled 9,433 meals, which means 108 meals per volunteer.
“I had a good time. I was with my friends so it was entertaining watching us all pack up the apples. I would do it again,” said Leah Lopez Morales, a senior at HAST.
What’s coming up?
HAST is preparing for its annual winter concert in December. Therese Hartz, a music teacher at HAST, prepares her music classes and choir every year to perform in the show.
“I played the piano in it last year and had a great time. We started preparing ourselves to adjust and get comfortable with our instruments early in the school year. By the time we get to December, we’re all pretty much ready,” said Lyila Vega, a senior at HAST.
The concert is usually a total of an hour and 30 minutes and shows several of HAST students’ hard work. The piano class, ukulele class, and HAST choir all come together to put on an amazing performance.
“The concert this year is on December 5. I’m going to be playing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ by Celine Dion. I’m nervous but excited at the same time. I’m glad our hard work will pay off playing in the concert and can’t wait for the day to be here,” said Lynette Montes, a junior at HAST.
Staff spotlight:
Bryon John Clark has been a staff member at HAST since August of 2017.
“After high school graduation, I joined the U.S. Navy in July of 1980. I graduated from the Nuclear Power Program in March 1998. I then attended Loyola University Chicago and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree as a Finance major. I worked in commercial real estate finance for 21 years. After the financial crisis of 2008, real estate lending became very difficult, so real estate companies were not hiring. I started substituting at the Merrillville School Corporation in 2011 and got my teaching license in 2014. I taught business at Merrillville High School before coming to HAST as the Eighth-Grade Math teacher,” said Clark.
He now teaches Principles of Entrepreneurship, New Ventures, and Small Business Operations.
Outside of work, Clark is a member of Bethel Church in Crown Point and leads a table at the Tuesday night Men’s Bible study.
“During my free time, I read books and articles on various topics. According to Kindle, I have read 19 digital and six physical books this year. I love to take trips in my recreational vehicle. I took a 34-day trip to New England over the summer,” said Clark.
Student spotlight:
Mia Rucoba has been a HAST student since she started middle school seven years ago. Today, Rucoba is in her senior year of high school.
“I was nervous going to HAST my sixth grade year. I had never switched schools until then, but I am grateful for my years at HAST. Being at HAST has not only provided me with a good education, but I was able to meet many wonderful people,” said Rucoba.
Since her senior year started, Rucoba has kept busy making memories and finalizing her transcripts for college.
“There are definitely a lot of feelings coming up now that I’m in my senior year. I would say it's a mix of both good and bad feelings. I am excited to start the next chapter of my life with college. However, I am most excited to meet new people and be in a different environment for college, but it is nerve racking being on my own without my family physically with me. Despite this, I am anticipating college and all of the experiences that come with it,” said Rucoba.
Preparing for college has occupied Rucoba’s mind since before senior year even started. Applying for scholarships and making sure she applies to colleges early on has been time-consuming.
“After high school, I plan on getting a bachelor's degree in Political Science and going to law school after. I am still undecided on which law I want to practice, but I am currently in between criminal, civil, or corporate law. I was the HAST finalist for the Lilly Endowment Scholarship from the Legacy Foundation. The Lilly Endowment Scholarship is a full tuition scholarship for any Indiana college or university. I started the process in July by filling out my information, background, and essay questions for the scholarship. I got an email from our school leader that I was going to do an interview regarding the scholarship, and I felt ecstatic. I had my interview the following day, and it went well. After two weeks, my counselor told me I was the finalist for the scholarship, and I had never felt more accomplished. However, I did not move forward in the application process. Despite not moving forward, I am grateful for the opportunity and I will take what I learned for future scholarships,” said Rucoba.
During Rucoba’s free time, she enjoys various forms of dance and theater. In doing both for years, they both come with a sense of comfort and familiarity, especially with going away for college.