Hearing from Hilltoppers: Greer Kennedy
Greer Kennedy is a senior at the Academy, and boy, is she busy! She moved up north from Louisiana to Vermont to attend school here as a sophomore. She has loved Vermont ever since and is especially grateful for the close-knit communities wherever she goes.
Greer has recently found a passion for Nordic skiing, and she wrapped up her senior season this past winter. One of her favorite things to do in her free time is play her viola! (Check out one of her performances here!) She claims that it’s obviously the best instrument, although during a summer camp in VT she did learn how to play the viola like a fiddle! She attends weekly rehearsals in Burlington at the Vermont Youth Orchestra, and they spend an entire season on one symphony piece!
Alongside her fun hobbies, Greer also enjoys her challenging academics. She has taken nearly every math class the academy offers and states that while they have been demanding, they have been enjoyable! She recommends taking the Calculus track because the teachers are very nice, and it’s a fast-paced course! But while she enjoys math, her favorite class is AP Lit with Mrs. Mackenzie. She loved reading each book, such as The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, and she said that the class discussions were always very enjoyable!
Greer is a strong leader in nearly all aspects of her life on campus, as she is the NHS President, Class Treasurer, and a member of the Student Government. She also recently attended Harvard Model Congress as part of the District Court Committee, and both she and her teammates can attest that it was a trying, yet fun experience.
Greer is also our school’s most recent two-time state champion! Last week she was accompanied by her adoring fans on a trip to the Flynn Center in Burlington for the State Finals for Poetry Out Loud. She said her mindset on stage was just to engage the audience and have it be a fun and memorable performance. She recited two poems that took her to the final round with the top three competitors, and after performing her last poem, she claimed the title of State Champ for the second time and will travel to Washington D.C. for the national event next month!
Greer has one piece of advice for budding poets or artists: Choose a poem that matters to you! It really does make all the difference.
