Student of the Week - Kian Hauschildt

Congratulations to Kian Hauschildt who was named Student of the Week at Wednesday's all-school meeting. Kian is a 9th grade Snowboard athlete who comes to KMS from Brazil. Kian was nominated for this award by English Department chair Shayna Miller.

Shayna shared, "I’d like to nominate Kian. Kian has consistently been a positive addition to our freshman English class. This was never more apparent than last week, when he returned from his unexpectedly-long winter break. While away, Kian was proactive in reaching out to me to communicate the obstacles he was encountering to returning to the States and repeatedly asked what he was missing in class so that he would not fall behind. Upon his return, Kian was thrust into the center of a poetry unit, but he didn’t complain and quit the way some students his age might have. Instead, he picked up the guitar of our visiting acclaimed Vermont poet, Partridge Boswell (otherwise known as Matt Krimmel’s stepdad), and fully engaged in a conversation about the intersection of music and Spoken Word poetry. This is the same positive and engaged attitude that Kian has exhibited all year, despite any challenges that he might experience as a non-native speaker of English. Welcome back, Kian!"

Faculty member Ian Groezinger added, "As both his advisor and teacher, I am in full support of this nomination. Kian has a well-documented history of returning to KMS late due to everything from extended surf trips to visa expirations, which constantly puts him in an academic hole. Before he returned from our last break, he made sure to communicate with me that he wouldn't be here (and why) and that he was going to contact his teachers and keep up with Google Classroom work as best as he could. Kian knew what his responsibilities were and how to best approach them, truly showing his adherence to our core values of RILER. Aside from that, Kian has been turning in high quality work the past week or so. His writing has improved leaps and bounds from last year and he has really began to grasp the concept of 'painting the full picture' in his analytical writing. Kian has a very strong work ethic, both academically and athletically, and fully deserves this accolade."

English teacher Nate Clifford agreed, "Before I ever met Kian, I had heard about him through various teachers. Kian's legend, it seemed, preceded him. Ben Van Put, was quick to proudly display the amazing video from that summer, a trip in which Kian, set in front of majestic sky-capped peaks flew through the air, 30, 40, 50 feet? Soaring weightless through the sky, I remember how gracefully Kian seemed a part of that daunting, alien landscape - how gravity seemed not to apply to him, and how modestly he would later share this experience with me. Like Kian's athletic prowess, I was quick to learn that his humility and talent are redolent throughout every endeavor he attempts. Kian speaks five times more languages than the average American. He is both Brazillian and Swedish. He hangs with some of the most talented skateboarders in the world. And yet, he remarkably takes none of this for granted. When he is at KMS he seeks out classes, requests new work, meets with teachers whenever he can to improve himself. He is a champion not only in athletics but in everything that he does. He is always looking to improve, and always celebrating the opportunities that surround him. I am so proud of Kian, because he reminds me to be thankful myself, and to keep reaching for something better. He is in fact, the definition of a champion. A person who looks ever forward, and excels in all parts of life, not simply those parts that he is good at. Hats off to this exemplary athlete, this exemplary student, this exemplary champion."

Congratulations, Kian! Keep up the amazing work.