JAY — As another school year draws to a close, attention often centers on those seniors who excelled in the classroom or on the athletic field. There are scores of other students that make their mark in their own unique way and Garrett Hunt is one of them.
Garrett Hunt of Jay is seen Friday morning, June 2, near the Phoenix symbol on Spruce Mountain High School in Jay. Through the senior community service project, he learned he likes giving back to his community. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser
Hunt, of Jay played on the football team for four years and the baseball team for three years. There was no baseball his freshman year because of COVID-19, he noted in an interview Friday, June 2.
“I loved how [the administrators, teachers and staff] were like almost family to me,” Hunt replied when asked about things he appreciated from his time in high school. “They were very acceptable and they just took me under their arms and went with it.
“All the teachers. My physics teacher, Mr. Taylor he loves the outdoors. We instantly bonded. My shop teacher, Mr. Dana he loved the creativity of my mind, my thinking outside of the box and making stuff with my bare hands. My math teacher, Mrs. Ellingwood, she was always pushing me to strive for bigger goals and wanting me to just reach my goals.”
Garrett really enjoyed physics class, Rob Taylor said Monday morning. “He is really adept at working with his hands,” he said. “He enjoyed the lab stuff. The class is designed using real world situations, we look at vehicles, heating and air condition situations. He understands physics in a practical way and how to apply it in the real world. That is a strength.
“Garrett is very caring to his classmates, willing to help them out in class. He’s a hard worker. I see him working in town and that work ethic carries over into the classroom.”
Hunt said sports kept him from participating in Envirothon or robotics, two programs Taylor advises. “Mr. Taylor, even though I wasn’t involved, he would still bring it up to me in class,” Hunt said. “Each weekend they would have a meet or something and he would always bring it up in class as a topic, a tangent into what he was teaching about.
“Mr. Taylor teaches so well. It’s just like another muscle in your body that he is training. He is training the brain. It is so amazing to me that he teaches these young kids to think outside the box and just lets them grow as individuals.”
Hunt also appreciates the support of Principal TJ Plourde, Assistant Principal Marc Keller and School Resource Officer Joe Sage. “I know if I was stuck somewhere they would give me a push,” he stated. “They were always behind me and wanting me to do better.”
“Garrett is a great kid,” Plourde noted recently.
Hunt did not participate in music or art in high school or in other extracurricular activities, although he did take part with his classmates in the recent community service project on May 16. “I helped disassemble a teacher’s porch to get ready for her new one,” he noted.
Hunt has taken time off from work this year to enjoy his senior year. He had worked at the gas station by Riverside Kwik Stop for almost three years. “My boss, he was all for me, for school,” he noted. “If I asked for a day off because I needed time for homework or some big game that weekend, he would always push for schooling first.”
Originally Hunt planned to go into law enforcement. “One of my brother’s friends is currently a game warden and I want to say [the game warden’s] brother is a sheriff in Dixfield,” he said.
Hunt’s plans changed this year and shortly after graduation, will be employed by his cousin at Fitch Plumbing and Heating in Farmington.
“My brother is currently employed there and he will be taking me under his wing,” Hunt stated. “When college starts up, I will be going to Central Maine Community College for plumbing technician. I will be going there for a year. Plumbing was a big part of my senior year.
“What I really like about plumbing is I really like giving back to my community,” Hunt noted. “I didn’t realize how little I do with my community so this his how I want to give back to it.”
Hunt has one older brother, Brett Hunt. His parents are Steve and Darcie Hunt. He said his father worked at EL Vining and Sons in Farmington for 18-20 years, has worked with Quirrion Construction in Augusta for about five years. His mom has worked at Franklin Savings Bank’s Jay branch for 25 years, he added.
“I am pretty happy with where I am,” Hunt replied when asked if there was something from school he wished he could do over or differently. “My teachers wanted me to do the best to my ability. I have taken two college [Advanced Placement] classes in English. Currently I am finishing up an AP class in statistics.”
Hunt said the biggest thing he learned in high school came from the coronavirus pandemic. “I realized how odd it is for people not to smile back at you,” he noted. “Each morning the principal, assistant principal and officer Sage, they would always greet people, say ‘Hey, good morning. How are you doing?’ I really take that personally. This is what I need to start off my day, so I cherish that.”
The only thing Hunt disliked about school was the drama, kids being kids, taking things too seriously. “Come on guys, we are here to learn, we are not here to start drama,” he stressed.
“I am just very thankful for what this school has done for me, my family and my community,” Hunt stated. I am very thankful for everything they have done for everyone.”
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