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Harker Heights High School Announces Top 2023 Graduates
This year’s top Harker Heights High School graduate spent 10 years in Killeen ISD schools and is now headed to one of the elite universities in the country.
This year’s Harker Heights High School salutatorian spent nine years in Korea and Poland, before arriving in KISD the second half of eighth grade. He is moving on but staying in Central Texas to attend the University of Texas at Austin.
Valedictorian Rebecca Mack, a National Merit Scholar Finalist is on her way to Harvard University.
“It’s amazing,” said Mack. “It’s a privilege to be honored after so many years. It’s a nice culmination and it’s great to move on.”
The valedictorian attended Mountain View Elementary and Union Grove before high school.
She has mixed Advanced Placement and dual credit classes at Harker Heights High School, while serving as a class officer, National Honor Society and performing in the choir, where she twice earned All-State Choir honors.
“I have dedication to a lot of things,” she said. “It was important to me to make time for choir and for academics.”
She also worked as a math tutor and volunteered with the city of Harker Heights.
Richard Sporluck grew up in a military family. He experienced living in Korea seven years and Poland two years but said the Killeen area is more diverse and he has enjoyed getting to know other military students.
As a freshman, he said he explored the range of opportunities at Harker Heights High School. He competed on the swim team four years and was team captain the past two years.
He was part of Student Council and National Honor Society and started a juggling club.
When coaches saw his athleticism, the accomplished swimmer found himself running track, which then led to joining cross country, too.
“It’s all been really fun,” he said.
When he addresses his classmates, Sporluck said he will make a point of the importance of doing what you enjoy instead of focusing on just academics or sports or another interest.
“When I joined cross country and track, it just made everything more enjoyable,” he said. “Doing what you like helps everything.”
He plans to study business at UT.
Mack is currently set to study environmental science and public policy but is staying open to a wide range of social science and STEM fields.
“I want to focus on how special our class is,” she said, previewing her valedictory speech. She pointed out how the senior class elevated much of the school’s success in athletics, fine arts and academics.
Harker Heights High School graduation is Friday, May 26 at 9 a.m. at the Bell County Expo Center.