Whiz Kid: Hali Kohls

Hali Kohls likes to follow the actions of her family and friends.  The result is an impressive resume of community involvement.

“I usually get involved with things that family and friends are doing,” said Kohls.  “I started working at a school for the deaf because my mom starting working there.  I have a close family friend who has AIDS, so I do the Philadelphia AIDS walk.  My friends and I from the do the Relay for Life every year.  I just like to get involved.”

Kohls graduated from Upper Moreland High School this month.  She leaves Upper Moreland not only with an impressive academic resume, but an equally impressive list of non-profit work.  Kohls is a leader with the Upper Moreland's Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA).  Kohls also works as a volunteer at a local school for the deaf once a week.  She is a regular participant in the Relay for Life as well as the Philadelphia AIDS walk.

Kohls credits her mother for her desire to spend her time helping others with so many different activities.

“My mother was a big influence,” Khols said.  “She is involved with a lot of non-profits.  I would always go with her to different events.”

Kohl’s work with the deaf began at a young age.  She would accompany her mother to the school and would soon be doing her part to help deaf children make the adjustments needed to deal with their disability.  Kohls continues to volunteer on Thursday nights at the school.

“I love it,” said Kohls.  “I would always go with my mom when I was really young.  We would do simple things like painting and passing out food.  When I was in fourth grade, I got to help out with children on Saturday mornings.  I just love the kids and I’ve stayed there for several years.”

In addition to all of her community involvement, Kohls is also a member of the National Honor Society.  She is a student who has always been able to absorb the information in her classes quite easily.  Kohls has also been able to manage her time wisely to enable her to excel in both school and the community.  She also misses little time with her friends since many are also involved in the same community activities.

“The grades part actually isn’t very difficult,” Kohls said.  “I was only involved with sports for a couple of years.  I mostly do the volunteer work.  A lot of my friends are involved with the same things I am.”

Kohls will attend Guilford College next fall and plans to study Sociology and Elementary Education. Kohls believes the close-knit atmosphere at Guilford will allow her to feel more comfortable than she would at a larger university.

“It’s a really nice school,” said Kohls. “They have a lot of different kind of classes.  It’s also a very liberal school. They are very low key.  You can call the teachers by their first names.  It’s a very personal type of feeling.”

Kohls will major in sociology and minor in business.  She is hoping her studies will lead her to a career in the non-profit world. 

Kohls will also look to become a certified teacher in order to have another option with her career path. Wherever Kohls decides to work in the future, her desire to help those less fortunate will likely serve as a strong example for generations of Upper Moreland graduates.