Photos courtesy of Nick Harris
During a time when students are usually making difficult decisions regarding their steps following graduation, Dublin Coffman High School senior Nick Harris is set and ready to go. After accepting a scholarship offer to play Division I lacrosse at the University of Notre Dame next year, Harris is thrilled to continue to compete in a sport that has played such a significant role in his life.
“I’ve always been very active in sports,” Harris says. “I’ve been playing lacrosse since I was in kindergarten, and that’s how I’ve made most of my friendships.”
He wasn’t sure about Notre Dame at first, but Harris says that once he went on an official visit, it sealed the deal.
“I just fell in love with the campus,” Harris says. “And the tradition – I mean, I couldn’t say no after that.”
Without the pressure and stress that comes with college decisions, Harris has the opportunity to do what plenty of graduating seniors want to do most – relax. Still, he doesn’t seem too interested in coasting.
"I’ve experienced firsthand that by working hard in the classroom and on the lacrosse field, it paid off, and I’m able to have a bit of an easier time this year because of it." - Nick Harris
Aside from playing varsity lacrosse, Harris is a member of the soccer team and National Honor Society, and he still finds time to take part in community service through organizations like Dublin’s Special Olympics and Miracle League. After being introduced to the programs at an early age through his father, Harris says, the organizations have played a big role in his life.
“I’ve been involved in (community service work) since elementary school, so it’s something I enjoy doing and plan on continuing to do,” he says.
During his time at Coffman, Harris has also been involved with the Peer Collaboration program, which is designed for students to create supportive communities with their fellow classmates and serve as a teacher’s assistant.
“This year I’m helping out at lunch,” Harris says. “So I talk to all the students, ask them about their day, check in and make sure they’re doing well – just give them someone to talk to. Before that I was in the classroom as a helping hand, keeping students on task, showing them what to do and helping out wherever it was needed.”
Harris says that while he’s not set on a college major just yet, being involved with Dublin Business Academy through the Emerald Campus has inspired his interest in business and entrepreneurship. As part of the program, students run a small T-shirt printing company and rotate through various fields including accounting, production, sales and management in order to learn firsthand the inner workings of a real company.
“It’s a really cool class to introduce you to business, and that’s what swayed me to possibly pursue it as a career,” Harris says. “I think it’s a good fit for me because I have pretty strong people skills and a hard work ethic, and I could definitely see myself becoming a small business owner because of this experience.”
Harris cites opportunities offered around Dublin and the schools as playing a major role in his success.
“The schools are terrific,” he says. “I’ve had a very good education, and it’s one of the main reasons I’m going to Notre Dame, so I’m thankful for that.”
With his college decision already made, Harris says he’s most looking forward to spending his last year at Coffman fully enjoying the friendships he’s made as he prepares for the next stage of his life.
“This year is going by so fast already, and I want to make the most of it,” he says. “I just want to absorb everything this year – to be living in the moment, but preparing for the future.”
When asked what legacy he hopes to leave behind at his school, Harris says that what he really wants to embody is what the culmination of years of hard work look like.
“Kids hear all the time that hard work pays off, and they just shake it off,” he says. “But I’ve experienced firsthand that by working hard in the classroom and on the lacrosse field, it paid off, and I’m able to have a bit of an easier time this year because of it. I want to embody that – to show people that it’s not just something that is said; if you actually do the work, it will pay off.”
Kendall Lindstrom is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
