Grace Hagan, Kapaun Mount Carmel High School

Grace Hagan, Kapaun Mount Carmel High School

High expectations demand high performance, as Grace Hagan clearly knows.

She has committed to play soccer at the University of Kansas after graduating from Kapaun, which she said has inspired her to make her last years of high school count.

“I have chosen to be a leader and not a follower, as my dad will always reiterate to me as I leave the house,” Hagan said. “I am often the odd one out in the high school social crowds, but I have managed to still find myself having fun and making friends.”

She is active at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and was a member of the American Heart Association’s Sweetheart Program last year.

Her aunt Jane Hagan is the nurse at Kapaun and said she has high expectations for her niece.

“I watch her interact with fellow students, teachers and staff, and I cannot begin to say in words how much she is admired and respected,” Jane Hagan said. “She is a gift to all that know her.”

Her guidance counselor, Liana Torkelson, echoed those sentiments.

“She is an up-and-coming young lady – a young woman to watch in her future accomplishments,” Torkelson said.

This story was originally published May 10, 2014 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Grace Hagan, Kapaun Mount Carmel High School."