Highland Park Neighbors Magazine Articles

Since 2018, in May of each year, the Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) has recognized a graduating Highland Park High School (HPHS) senior with the HPCF Personal Achievement Award. The award honors a student who has “persevered despite obstacles or disability, thrives in the school environment, is a hard worker and a positive influence, and elicits a feeling of joy from those who interact with them,” said Jean Meadows, HPCF Board Member and Personal Achievement Award Committee Chair. In recognizing students who display these qualities, HPCF honors those who demonstrate resiliency and dedication to their education. This year’s recipient, Katerina Shutman, possesses every one of these qualities.

Katerina Shutman with HPHS teacher Katrina Tolemy at HPHS Honors Night.

Katerina demonstrated a consistent commitment to her education as well as her long-term goals throughout her high school experience. “Katerina represents the essence of the Personal Achievement Award,” said Karen Reisin, Committee member. “She is kind, personable, hardworking, self-confident, and determined, despite the obstacles she has faced. Katerina is also an animal lover who hopes to one day participate in the Veterinary Assistant program at CLC, and her ambition and hard work have already brought her closer to achieving this goal.” Through work study and job training at HPHS, she developed her vocational skills so well that she was recently hired as an official employee at Green Bay Animal Hospital

L to R: HPCF Chair Laurie Levin, HPCF Board Member Betsy Brint, Katerina Shutman, HPCF Board Member Jean Meadows

Katerina maintained her dedication to achieving her dreams in the face of a number of obstacles that made high school challenging. “Katerina embodies all the qualities of a Highland Park Giant. She is hard-working, thoughtful, polite, and one of the kindest people you will ever meet. She overcame a huge personal loss with the passing of her father during her sophomore year, but she never gave up. She showed her grit and determination to learn skills that would help her be successful,” said one of her teachers, Katrina Tolemy. Katerina’s commitment to preparing for her future, and making sure it aligns with her dreams, is just one of her many admirable qualities

Katerina left a lasting impression on each member of the Personal Achievement Award Committee. “Interviewing Katerina for this award was the highlight of my week! Not only is her smile contagious, but her attitude toward school, learning, work, animals, friends, and life in general, is inspirational. Katerina epitomizes the spirit of the Personal Achievement Award, and I know I am a better person having met her!” said Betsy Brint, Committee member. “We all left the interview smiling; her positive energy is infectious!” added Jean.

Katerina Shutman was awarded the Personal Achievement Award at HPHS’s Student Honors Night. The HPHS Board and Staff congratulate her on all her hard work and wish her all the best in her future endeavors!