Ballet Student Shines On Stage: Long Valley Star Student Athlete

LONG VALLEY, NJ — We all know student athletes who also bring their A-game to other parts of their lives.

Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize these heroes making a difference in their communities. We’re working to let all your neighbors know the individual stories behind the leaderboard.

This submission comes from Michael who nominated his daughter Hana of Long Valley.

Star student athlete’s name:

Hana - 8th grade

Star student athlete’s home state:

New Jersey

How do you know the star student athlete?

She’s my daughter.

What sport does the star student athlete play?

Ballet

Why do you believe the star student athlete should be recognized?

Hana has been studying ballet since age 5 and was accepted to and attended the American Ballet Theater 2022 Summer Intensive in New York City. She was also accepted into the Summer Intensive programs at the School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet School, and Princeton Ballet. Hana achieved High Honor Roll in 7th grade and is poised to repeat this in 8th grade. She was recently chosen by her teachers to be an academic support tutor for younger students at Long Valley Middle School. Hana has been in school six days a week for many years because she also studies and is fluent in the Japanese language.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about the star student athlete?

That, while making extreme sacrifices for her outstanding academic and athletic achievements, she is a grounded, caring, and decent human being.

Keep up the great work, Hana!

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Know an outstanding student athlete? Nominate them as a Patch Star Student Athlete.