Senior Hannah Risinger will graduate from Bastrop High School as number four in the Class of 2021 with a GPA of 109.324. Ending her high school career as Vice President of Bastrop High’s National Honor Society chapter, Risinger was highly involved in activities, like PALs and Key Club, that benefited BHS and the community. Risinger will attend the University of Texas at Austin next semester to major in Engineering. Her favorite class, AP Environmental Science, taught by this year’s teacher of the year, Erin Land, shaped her career path. “I always knew I wanted to be an engineer, but taking her course made me realize that I want to be an environmental engineer,” said Risinger. “The end goal eventually is to be able to help with the growing issues of climate change and pollution.”

Risinger found immense support and motivation in her father. “Ever since I was little, I would make things. One time I had a laser pointer and I wanted to make a laser gun so I could play with my cat. I made the handle out of clay and tied a string to the bottom of the trigger so it would set off the laser,” said Risinger. “My dad told me after that, ‘You’re gonna grow up to be an engineer or something.’ I was only about nine, so I didn’t know what an engineer was or what they did, but I knew from that point that is what I wanted to be.”

Risinger would like to thank teacher Kim Hamrick for all of her support in high school. “I feel like Mrs. Hamrick really helped me through hard times …, along with helping me keep my motivation up when I felt like giving up,” said Risinger. Hamrick would help Risinger with any sort of math-related problems that she had by giving her in-person tutorials, providing resources, or just little tips and tricks. “Thank you for teaching me the skill of perseverance and being so supportive of all of my decisions, it really means the world to me,” said Risinger. “I truly wish you the best with all of your students onward, and I hope I get to experience another teacher like you.”