Sydney Pavetti-Hankey is graduating a year early from Doherty High School. She has always been ahead. In 8th grade she took advanced high school English and math classes. This year she has been taking classes at Pikes Peak Community College, including advanced calculus.

But there is another reason for the hard work beyond the academic.

Last summer Sydney’s mother was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. “She had taken care of me all her life, it was time for me to starting taking care of her.”

After the shock, they made a plan. They decided on early graduation for Sydney for financial and organizational reasons.

She has only three more classes to complete this year. She explained she was first in her junior class, but when she was reclassified this school year as a senior she dropped to sixth place out of 385 students.

At first, she was reluctant to graduate early, not wanting to miss out on an entire year with her friends and activities. But she is now determined to make this year her best. She joined three new activities to help make the most of it.

At home, she takes on the household responsibilities when her mother can’t. “But I only make macaroni and cheese and ramen,” she laughed.

Doherty Guidance Counselor Stacy Strobel said ,“Her ability to handle her mother’s illness has been stressful, but she has handled it with grace, dignity and maturity.”

She added that Sydney is “the most well rounded, intelligent, passionate and dedicated student, I have known.”

Sydney has been a top leader in state-level Mock Trial competition, and has five academic and sports letters. She helps students almost daily in the school’s math tutoring center.

“Sydney has a heart for kids who don’t always fit in,” Strobel noted.

During Covid times, she enrolled in school swimming and tennis to get out of the house. “I was always last place in swimming. But I had fun.” She was chosen for the tennis varsity team.

Community service has included helping My Neighbor’s Cupboard, a food charity. She recalled helping a parent who had several of her kids with her. “Seeing them get so excited over apples and oranges really affected me.”

She has not chosen a school yet but wants to study civil engineering. She sees that profession as a way to give back to her community through improvements to roads and buildings.

For example, she pointed to engineers’ contribution to safe roads. “Everyone should be able to go somewhere without stress.” She added, “It seems the best way I can impact the most people, even if it is one bridge or road at a time.”

She was four when she began accompanying her grandfather Keith Pavetti, a construction general superintendent, to see work sites occasionally while her mother was working. “He has been a really big part of my life, and has inspired me,” Sydney said.

While her days have sometimes been difficult, her mother’s illness has given her understanding of others.

“You never know what may be going on in someone’s life, so you should always be considerate.”

Doherty High School

College Plans: Colorado School of Mines

Parent(s): Tracy Pavetti

Other: Lettered in Academics and Sports, Boettcher Scolarship Semi-finalist, National Honor Society, PPCC President’s List

Sydney-Pavetti-Hankey

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