This award will often go to a student who has had a great year. In the past I have awarded the student who has made great progress or who has made a complete turn around. That is not the case this year. For Hannah this is a Middle School Achievement Award. From the moment she entered the doors of Key Peninsula Middle School to begin her sixth grade year until the moment she walked out our doors ending her eighth grade year she has been an exemplary student. Hannah is motivated. Hannah is goal oriented. Hannah is personable. Hannah is creative. Hannah is talented. Hannah produces. She is a fantastic friend and highly respected by her peers. I once asked a struggling student to name an individual whom she felt best exemplified a top middle school student. That student said, without even a second to think about it, Hannah Buck. When I asked why Hannah she said, because Hannah is a good student,
she doesn't get in trouble, and she has a lot of friends. Hannah is a leader and she does so by example.
In my newsletter class, she was stellar. She was the chief editor and producer and the end product illustrated her skills. She spent countless hours on the "Eye of the Cougar" making sure it was perfect. She is also an accomplished beginning photographer. Her work is some of the finest I have seen since I began teaching photography. After school she spent countless more hours developing her own website. While in Mexico second semester I sent dozens of math problems to Hannah via email. She tackled them all and rarely needed to discuss them with me over the phone. What makes this impressive is the fact that these problems were released items from the 10th grade WASL. Hannah is the product of wonderful parents and a terrific older sister. They should all be very proud of her accomplishments. Hannah will be successful in whatever endeavor she decides to pursue in high school, university, and beyond. I have been teaching since 1982 and simply put, Hannah may be the finest "all around" student I have ever had the privilege to teach. She will be greatly missed in the halls of Key Peninsula Middle School next year.
Mike Hunziker
