Hartley Silverberg is not just working hard as a freshman, but she is working consistently while also managing her involvement with theatre and volleyball. 

Hartley is involved in various extracurricular activities, while managing time to herself and maintaining good grades in advanced classes, all while being in her first year at RV. Hartley was the Girls’ Freshman Volleyball team’s libero in the fall season, as well as the libero for her team outside of school. Additionally, Hartley played as ensemble in RV’s most recent musical, The Wizard of Oz, and was previously Ms. Honey in her middle school musical production of Matilda.

Hartley is involved in both theatre and volleyball as a freshman, and since both activities are very time-consuming and they are often considered to be completely separate fields of interest, it is a lot to consider and manage, especially as someone just entering high school. In many cases, people who are athletes are not typically involved in theatre, and vice versa. This divide has caused many assumptions and stereotypes to arise regarding these activities. However, Hartley breaks this stereotype with her participation in both. 

“Being a freshman, I see that many older kids get more chances. This can either be because they know the teachers better, or because they have had more experience than me. Being older and being in school for longer, I have a disadvantage.” Silverberg stated. Despite participating in various activities, Hartley still runs into disadvantages and struggles when trying to carry out her passions. Still, she continues to persevere through the difficulties that she may encounter while seeking out new opportunities.

Additionally, adjusting from schedules from middle school to high school has been another challenge, especially because now, rehearsals and practices are more frequent and longer, and the workload is much heavier. “I do end up feeling worn out. With coming to high school, middle school felt like a step down.” She stated.