LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Anyone who works in media will tell you that no broadcast can be successful without the hard work of those behind the scenes. That’s especially true at Louisville’s Holy Cross High School, where the “Cougar Cast” weekly TV news report wouldn’t happen without the efforts of Executive Producer Sarah Recktenwald, a senior who has written every script since the show debuted two years ago.
“The Cougar Cast is a completely student-run broadcast”, Sarah said. “We brainstorm the ideas and then we broadcast live every Friday morning.”
What You Need To Know
- Sarah Recktenwald is a Kentucky Governor's Scholar with a 4.3 GPA at Louisville's Holy Cross High School
- Executive Producer of the school's "Cougar Cast" news broadcast
- She has "a soft spot for kids" and builds beds for needy children
- She'll attend Bellarmine University and double major in Elementary Education and Behavioral and Learning Disorders
Justin Willenborg is the Director of Technology at Holy Cross and marvels at Sarah’s work ethic: “Sarah is so dedicated and hard working. I've never actually seen this type of dedication in a student before. That first year she was the foundation of the team. We wouldn't have been able to do it without her.”
That dedication also applies to the classroom, where she's an honor student with a 4.3 GPA and a Kentucky Governor’s Scholar. She’s a Student Council representative and Vice President of the Y Club and Stage Director of the Drama Club. She’s also on the Holy Cross Cheer Team.
Even with all that going on, she still finds time to give back to her community, especially children. She says “I have a soft spot for younger kids” and volunteers with Norton Children’s Hospital and the non-profit "Sleep In Heavenly Peace", where she literally builds beds for needy children.
"A bed is not something you think of when you think of people who are vulnerable and in need, but most of the time kids are sleeping on a floor or a couch or with mom and dad. You need a good night's sleep to function so it's very important that you have a bed," she said.
Sarah also spends every Thursday at Pitt Academy helping children with special needs – and it’s that experience that guides her future. She plans to go to Bellarmine University and double major in Elementary Education and Behavioral and Learning Disorders.
“I've always wanted to be a teacher because teachers are the people I've looked up to the most," she said.
Her future students will get an instructor with poise... patience... and positivity.
“I've never seen Sarah in a bad mood,' Willenborg said of Sarah, and she agrees.
“I have a positive attitude and I’m known by people for making jokes and being the uplifting person," Sarah said. "I'm proud of my ability to constantly be – I use the word 'spunky.' I'm always determined and a little bit courageous.”
Sarah Recktenwald is already making the world a better place and she’s “spunky” enough to keep doing it for years to come. That makes her a deserving Spectrum News 1 High School Scholar.