Elling to Harvard, Hatcher to West Point

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

It’s an exciting time of year for high school seniors and their families as they prepare for graduation and post-graduation, including college, the workforce, the military etc.

A pair of seniors at Lincolnview High School will head out of state to attend two institutions held in high esteem – Harvard University and the United States Military Academy West Point. It’s a remarkable achievement, given the Lincolnview’s small size.

Evan Elling – Harvard University

The wait to hear something felt like it took forever, but it was the response Evan Elling had dreamed of hearing.

Elling, the son of Joe and Stacy Elling, was very interested in attending Harvard and Ohio State, and had considered applying to M.I.T. as well. He applied to Harvard in late October of last year, then didn’t hear anything until mid-December.

“I was sitting all alone in my house because my parents were watching my sister at a sporting event,” he explained. “I had just turned on the TV to watch a movie and was eating mac-and-cheese and all the sudden I got an email and all it said was ‘Your admission decision has been updated,’ and that scared me because it didn’t say accepted or anything, it just said updated. I ran to my room, grabbed my computer and opened it (the email), and it said ‘Congratulations, you’ve been accepted’ and it was very cool because it had confetti on the website when you opened it.”

Elling said he and his family toured the campus in September of last year – a 14-hour drive to Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“All of their buildings have this nice old brick look – it’s got this old feel and it’s comforting in a way,” Elling said.

He plans to study mechanical engineering and would eventually like to move on to law school for a law degree. In addition, he’d like to join the school’s Mock Trial Club, along with Harvard’s marching band and wind ensemble. Elling plays the baritone saxaphone.

It’s no secret that Harvard is extremely selective of the students it admists each year. In fact, approximately 1,900 students from the U.S. and abroad are admitted each year, which equals an acceptance rate of just three percent.

“It was my dream school as a kid – Harvard Law School, to be a lawyer, so it’s like fullfilling a dream,” Elling said.

According to Lincolnview Jr. High/High School Principal Brad Mendenhall, Elling is believed to be the first student from Lincolnview to gain admission to Harvard University.

Lindsey Hatcher – United States Military Academy at West Point

Getting into an Ivy League school is no easy task and neither is getting into a military academy. Only 1,200-1,300 students are admitted to the United States Military Academy at West Point each academic year.

Lindsey Hatcher, the daughter of John Hatcher and Heather Torlina, received a nomination to West Point from U.S. Congressman Bob Latta, but didn’t hear anything about it until just last week. Hatcher, a member of the Lincolnview track and field team, was running a warm-up lap when she learned the good news.

“From very early on I’ve wanted to do something with my life that would help people – I wanted to do something that meant a lot to the world and that attracted me to military service,” Hatcher stated. “I care very much about my academics so I wanted to go somewhere where I would get a great learning experience but also a great experience improving myself in other areas and that drew me to West Point. It drew me to all of the service academies, West Point in particular because of some of the programs they offer that I’m really interested in.”

“They offer a war studies major and I’m interested in doing that and then using that to go into military intelligence,” she added.

Hatcher noted she’s visited West Point and described it as absolutely gorgeous.

“It’s right in the Hudson River Valley with mountains and it’s beautiful,” she said. “I was able to follow a cadet around, go to class with her and have that experience. I really liked talking to all the other cadets – with a service academy like West Point, it’s all great kids, they’re funny, they’re intelligent, they have good character and it’s really nice. What made my visit so special was seeing the people there were like.”

Hatcher will leave for West Point at the end of June to begin basic cadet training and she said she’s looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s not just going to be an academic challenge but a physical challenge, a mental challenge,” she stated. “It’s really going to change my life and change me as a person and I’m really excited to get out there and start doing it.”

Before taking the next step, Elling and Hatcher will receive their diplomas during Lincolnview’s graduation ceremony, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. this Sunday.