Editor’s Note: This is the fifteenth in a series of 19 stories about last semester’s Principal’s Recognition  Award winners who were recognized on Wednesday, Dec. 2 for outstanding achievement in specific programs. Junior Haley Aicholzer received the Science Award and was nominated by Mr. Parin Patel.

If you were to walk into physics teacher Mr. Parin Patel‘s classroom, you would find a large group of students hunched over their desks, working on a new, seemingly impossible physics equation. And while it might not be clear to the naked eye, there would be one girl working a bit harder, putting her all into whatever problem it is.

Junior Haley Aicholzer has struggled with science for as long as she could remember. Whether it be biology, chemistry, or physics, Aicholzer developed a love-hate relationship with her science classes, but over the course of her high school career, she has put in 110 percent into whatever assignment she’s given. Her ability to do so is what got her the Principal’s Recognition Award for Science.

“I was surprised, but then I was happy and I felt like the hard work that I put into it even though it isn’t the easiest thing for me, I work hard and I thought it was nice to be recognized for,” Aicholzer said.

Currently in physics, Aicholzer found it to be the hardest science subject she’d taken so far, but that didn’t stop her. Although she struggled in class, Aicholzer gave it her all and as she attended class every day, discovering more aspects of the subject, Aicholzer surprisingly, began to like it.

“I’m in physics, currently and, at first, I didn’t like it. I thought it was horrible but the more I more did it, I realized how important of a skill it was and how to persevere and keep trying and overcome difficulties. I began to like it more because of that,” she said.

Aicholzer was honored to be nominated by Patel who, despite witnessing her struggles, saw the hard work and determination she put into class every day.

“He knows how it’s not my favorite thing, but he knows I work hard and Ito tries to succeed and I think he realized that and that’s why he thought I deserved the award,” she said.

Previous installment in the Principal’s Recognition Award series

Weihua Liu  –  http://www.nileswestnews.org/features/principals-recognition-award-weihua-liu/