The North Baltimore High School staff has selected Olivia Matthes as the January student of the month.
Olivia Matthes is a senior with a long list of accomplishments. She is on the A-B Honor Roll, maintains a 3.8 GPA, and has won numerous awards for her work and dedication to band, choir, and Drama Club, including the Director’s Award for Choir and the Star Performer Award. She is a 1-year varsity track participant and 4-year varsity golfer, receiving the Tiger Spirit Award, Captains Award, and MVP Award.
Perhaps some of Olivia’s greatest accomplishments come from her work with Kathy’s Klassics where she competed and won first place at the National Festival of the Future, first place in the trio round and second place in her duet, Artistic Twirl. As a member of eleven years, she has also assisted with the mini-majorettes and twirled as a majorette with the NBHS Tiger Marching Band since the eighth grade. Outside of the performing arts, Olivia is a member of National Honor Society, Student Council, Tri-M Music Honor Society, and is the secretary of Paws for a Cause. Despite all these awards and accolades, Olivia is one of the most genuinely humble people I know.
When I think about Olivia and all of her accomplishments, there are two stories that really stand out in the front of my mind. The first is that at the end of last year, she came to me with a predicament. She needed to take anatomy, which is only offered at the same time as High School Choir, but being a choir member since the fifth grade, she didn’t want to give that up. She proposed a solution which would have her attending anatomy class and essentially learning all of her choir music outside of the school day on her own time, save for the one day a week she comes to rehearsal (when of course, she has to do her anatomy work for the day outside of school). She has hustled and worked so hard to make sure she could do both things, and she excels at both of them.
The second is a slightly more personal story. Olivia is a long-time member of St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church where she has served as an acolyte, lay leader, and VBS assistant for many years. Last year, she was invited to share a sermon on a weekend the pastor would be out of town and she got up in front of the congregation and shared her faith journey, and how she uses the performing arts to share her faith with the world.
Olivia has more drive, gumption and courage than most adults I know, and I feel so blessed to have been a part of her journey here. Next year, she plans to attend Bowling Green State University, and I can’t wait to watch as she continues to grow. I know I will not be the only one rooting her on from the sidelines as her maturity, kind spirit, and genuine heart have made her many friends of all ages, and that support system will only grow as she moves through life.
Congratulations, Olivia!