For this edition of Meet a Freshman, The Panther chose to highlight Leo Harnetiaux. Harnetiaux comes from St. Joseph School on Capitol Hill, along with many other current freshmen. After attending St. Joe’s for nine years, starting in kindergarten, he was prepared for the rough adjustment to high school. Harnetiaux credits his eighth-grade year for some insight into high school lifestyle, emphasizing that he was “prepared well by the tests and workload.”
Harnetiaux was specifically prepared and ready for Prep’s unique class, Collegio. Harnetiaux was placed in the freshmen Collegio of Bellarmine, taught by Ms. Slack and Mr. Meyer. He enjoys the people and community built around his class.
Besides Collegio, Harnetiaux also takes Health and Exercise with Mrs. Sullivan. Harnetiaux enjoys the balance of activity with learning. “I’ve never been in a class like this before, being able to get active during the school day but still be in an academic class is blessing”.
Outside of school, Harnetiaux currently participates in Freshman Football and plans to play basketball in the winter. His older brother, Austin, plays football at University of Washington, and with the freshmen football team’s three for six record, Harnetiaux is seemingly following his footsteps! As a key part of the freshman team, Harnetiaux enjoys bonding with the boys in his grade through the sport and says that playing football “is a good way to be brought into the Prep community.”
Another big event in Harnetiaux ‘s life is his first homecoming. He’s “anxious but excited” to be a part of his first formal Prep dance. Harnetiaux enjoyed watching all the public asks, and the anticipation leading up to the dance.
High school is exciting, but managing the balance can be challenging, especially for a freshman. Being a student athlete is difficult, and Harnetiaux has had to learn how to juggle this new lifestyle. After a full day of school and practice, it’s difficult to sit down and do your homework. Harnetiaux was “startled with the busyness of high school and struggled to manage it all.”
Harnetiaux is a well-rounded student who is very active in the Prep community. When asked what advice he would give to himself going into Prep as a student athlete, Harnetiaux said, “Be prepared. Be prepared to lose sleep. Be prepared for the amount of work.”
