Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, January 26, 2023. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.
By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy
The Spring Valley Kiwanis Club has selected Garrison Hubka as one of its Kiwanis Academic Excellence Award recipients.
The Kingsland senior has a busy schedule. He related, “For sports, I run cross country and track. I also play basketball. For clubs, I am active in the National Honor Society (NHS) and Key Club. My favorites are cross country and track. I used to participate in Knowledge Bowl, HOSA, Math Wizards and football. My favorite subject from school is probably History, or Physical Education in the past.”
Garrison is employed at Home Federal. “I work at Home Federal in Spring Valley. I like the work environment and how everyone is friendly to one another. Outside of school, I am active in my church community, and in my spare time, you can find me running, watching or playing sports, hanging out with my friends, or playing video games. My favorite hobby is going for a run. My favorite movies are either the ‘Maze Runner’ series or ‘The Lord of the Rings’ series. I enjoy the action and the made-up worlds. My favorite book series is the ‘Maze Runners’ series because of how unique and intriguing it is. I listen to whatever is on the radio stations 106.9 or 93.3, and I could live on pizza for the rest of my life, but olives are just nasty.”
He added, “My biggest pet peeve is probably when people chew with their mouth open when they eat. If I could travel to any country, I’d probably go to Switzerland because of all of the mountains. Florida is probably my favorite state to visit because of the beaches and Disney World.”
The 18-year-old most admires three people who have shown him best qualities and characteristics through their actions. “I admire my father, Steve Prefontaine, and George Washington the most because of their views on life and the world and how they treat(ed) others.”
If he could do one thing to change the world, he’d try to make a difference by tackling one of two very important issues. “I would either take away weapons of mass destruction or fix pollution.” He’s currently uncertain of what he’d like to become after he graduates, but that’s left him plenty of options for his future. “I am not sure what job I want to do after I graduate, but as a kid, I wanted to be a scientist.”
The Spring Valley Kiwanis Club will recognize Garrison and his parents during the club’s Feb. 1 noon meeting at the Spring Valley Community Center. The club welcomes prospective members to join them for more information on club activities.
Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325
