This year the Stinger Newspaper would like to recognize each of our seniors in the Senior Spotlight portion of our paper. We took the time to ask the class of 2023 some questions about themselves, and their time here at The Hive. Take some time today to read all about Daniel Waltermire!

As a young child, Daniel found the idea of outer space to be fascinating and imagined himself growing up and becoming an astronaut. Although now his ideas for the future are a little different, his curiosity and wonder about the way the world works are still in existence. During his time here at Marion Center he found his passion for physics and plans to use that as a career after high school.

Daniel has been a part of the robotics program here at Marion Center. In 2o21, he competed with a team at a VEX robotics competition. During his senior year, he has been a part of 3 robotics teams, BotsIQ Combat robotics, VEX robotics, and FIRST robotics through the advanced robotics curriculum.

After his sophomore year, Daniel underwent a great change in his mindset toward school, which he is very proud of. He tells the Stinger News “I’m proud of improving myself and my grades after my sophomore year, especially in my junior year.” He has shown that this is possible for anyone and everyone, and is serving as an inspiration for many underclassmen who have found themselves falling behind in their academics. His favorite memory here at Marion Center was when Dawson Bracken got written up for kicking the stinger bee (who was Cody Saxfield) by Mrs. Dehaven even though he was on crutches.

In an interview with Stinger News, Daniel was quick to tell about how his years at Marion Center have greatly been impacted by Mr. Hill.

“Mr. Hill has had the biggest impact on me and my future. I took Physics because I needed science and I was good at math. When I first started the class I was still a troublemaker and wanted attention, Mr. Hill saw this so he talked to me after class, when he told me about my ability and that I could be better it really stuck with me, so I started paying more attention. I really liked the way he taught and explained things in a fun and interactive way, rather than telling us to open the Chromebooks and to do an assignment on there. Though I enjoyed the class I still didn’t know what I wanted to do in the future, and I stayed this way until Mr. Hill asked what I wanted to do after school. I told him I wasn’t sure and he said because of how well I was doing, that engineering would be a good path for me. After this conversation, I became determined to improve my GPA so I could get into a good school with an engineering program. His class was always the highlight of my day, and I definitely learned the most not only because of his teaching style but also because he was considerate and kind. I appreciate Mr. Hill and encourage others to take Physics.”

Following graduation, he will miss all of the people that he has spent every day with for the past 4 years, and all of the teachers that have helped to shape him into the person he has become today. Daniel plans to attend IUP for two years with a major in Physics and pre-engineering and then finish his degree at the University of  Pittsburgh main campus for electrical engineering. His ultimate career goal is to become an electrical engineer.

His farewell message to the underclassmen is: “Pay attention in class even when it isn’t the best. You’ll regret not focusing and slacking in the future, I promise that. Though I encourage you to pay attention in class, don’t forget to have fun. You’re only in high school once, so make the most of it.”