LEXINGTON, Ky. — Austin Harmon’s resumé is almost hard to believe. The senior at Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington shines in multiple areas.
"He is so well-rounded, and he’s really great at everything he does," said Jamie Mills, his principal.
He excels in the classroom with an eye-popping 4.6 GPA and is on the Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Advisory Committee.
Harmon was an All-District Offensive Lineman for the powerful FDHS football team that played in the state championship game three times during his high school career and won the Kentucky 5A Title when he was a sophomore. He was a Team Accountability leader and won the Bronco Toughness award.
“It teaches me relationships," he said, reflecting on his tenure. "Most of my best friends are on the football team, and it just teaches me trust. You have to trust them in order to win.”
Harmon also has a creative side. He is an award-winning violin player in the school’s Chamber Orchestra, performing at the American String Teachers Association National Conference, and writes his own music.
He’s a 4th-degree black belt in Taekwondo and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and said he’s proud of the progress he’s made in martial arts.
"Everyone starts in the same place, but I realize that the longer you stick to something, the better you're going to get at it," Harmon said.
That "stick to it" attitude also applies to his love for languages. Harmon has studied Chinese since kindergarten and is the only student in Fayette County Public Schools taking Advanced Placement Chinese. He has also studied Spanish since sixth grade.
His knowledge and promotion of both languages led to him being awarded the Kentucky World Languages Association “Friends of Language” Award, the first student ever to win it.
He tops it all off with multiple volunteer efforts, doing everything from helping flood victims in Appalachia to outreach at a local elementary school to service for area churches.
"It's because I'm very fortunate, and it's a way to give back to the community," Harmon said.
“He is kind; that's the first thing that comes to mind about Austin," Mills said. "He's a very kind student and person. He is well-respected by his peers and his teachers.”
That spirit of giving back will extend to his career, as he’ll serve his country as a military officer. He accepted an appointment at the United States Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut, where he’ll play football and major in government with a concentration in international affairs and minor in Chinese.
His family has a military background, and Harmon said he will be proud to serve.
“I've always had that driving force from a very young age to protect this nation," Harmon said. "You don't just join the Army or military; you become it. It's an honor that is bestowed upon you in order to protect, I think, one of the greatest countries in the world.”
Harmon's advice is simple for his generation.
"Really, it just takes a little work and dedication," he said. "Nothing is free or comes easily, (but) if you put your heart into it, there is no telling what you can achieve.”
"I feel blessed to know him, to know his family," Mills said. "It just feels like the future is in good hands.”
Discipline, dedication and drive is a combination that makes future leader Austin Harmon a deserving Spectrum News 1 High School Scholar.
