After going through an audition process, Joseph Hartlove was selected by a panel of Sherwood staff members to be the student-speaker at this year’s graduation. Hartlove is a particularly fitting choice considering that he was the treasurer of the Class of 2024 for the first three years of high school and this year served as schoolwide SGA president. In addition, he is also the co-president of Students to End Poverty and a captain for the It’s Academic team, where he represented the team on television in January.

“I love being a student leader, and throughout my high school career, I have done my best to be an advocate and representative for my peers,” said Hartlove. Next year, Hartlove will be attending University of Maryland, Baltimore County to study political science. While he is not completely sure what his exact career path will be, he is certain of his extreme passion for “government and desire to work in politics” and a goal to “work in a career where he is able to help other people and have a positive impact on the world.”

For his graduation speech, Hartlove plans to touch upon a variety of themes to make it relatable to a full range of his fellow seniors. One central message will be the sense of community that the Class of 2024 built at Sherwood.

“I definitely will spend much more time talking about our Senior Class than I do about myself,” he explained. “A major reason as to why I decided to try out for the senior speaker position was because I have a desire to represent my class.” Participating in many large clubs, honor societies, and the SGA, Hartlove is certainly a great candidate for representing the grade as a whole and speaking directly to the senior class and their parents. He is the embodiment of everything that Sherwood aims to be and the values that they want to instill in their students.