A 12th grader has been awarded “Student of the Month” for March at DeKalb County High School.
18-year-old Katya Hennessee, daughter of Brad and Renee Hennessee, was surprised to learn Tuesday that she had been named the recipient of the honor which included a certificate and a gift card for a meal at El Rancho Mexican Restaurant.
“I’m very honored and thankful,” said Hennessee.
Katya and her younger siblings 17-year-old Valya and 14-year-old Pasha, natives of Ukraine, were adopted by the Hennessee’s several years ago. “We went through an organization called Bridges of Faith and they bring over Ukranian kids to America to be with families here,” said Katya.
A member of the FFA club, Katya said she was also a football manager for three years. Her interest in agriculture came about because of her grandfather who has about 250 head of cattle.
After graduation, Katya said she plans to attend the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in McMinnville and study cosmetology.
Asked if she keeps up with the situation in her native Ukraine, Katya said she was so young when she left that it’s hard to comprehend now. “It’s hard to comprehend sometimes because I have been here for almost nine years, but I still remember most things because I was the oldest kid in the family. It was like, wow I came from something and look at it now,” she said.