When Blake Hartman sat his head on the desk again, his teacher knew that once again he was going to sleep, and missing another lesson in her class. Even though he had A’s and B’s across the board, he couldn’t seem to focus on what was being taught. But while everyone around him saw a kid with no care for learning, Hartman closed his eyes and dreamt of bigger things.
“I was really good at school, but I wasn’t a good student,” Hartman said. “I could fall asleep and still get an A. I would get several calls home saying I was sleeping again.”
A member of the first graduating class at Kingwood Park in 2010, Captain Blake Hartman returned to campus to speak to JROTC, FFA and Animal Science classes about his life after high school and the achievements of his career.
Hartman hoped to inspire kids that may be unsure of their future to not only pursue their dreams, but to also be hardworking in their future endeavors. He used his story as an example.
“It’s okay to not know what you want to do with your life, it’s perfectly fine,” Hartman said. “But always be thinking about what you’re passionate about.”
Hartman’s passion led him to the Air Force after high school, where he spent 15 years in the military. He travelled globally, working different communications and technology jobs. In 2021, he joined the United States Space Force, where his current occupation is the Director of Operations at the Cyberspace Squadron.
One thing that Hartman reflected on was returning to his old school, but now from a new perspective. The same teacher that taught him 15 years ago, still teaches FFA today.
“I had him junior year and senior year of high school,” FFA Teacher Genevieve Ubnoskye said. “He was very defiant, kinda like his way or the highway, but once he was engaged he was awesome. He was like a rockstar on any team we put him on.”
Whether current students are in the same programs Hartman took, his advice targets everyone. Hartman hopes that he can inspire students to pursue what they love most.
“Those types of guest speakers, it is always good to have them,” junior Selvin Blanco said. “They show and make you reflect on yourself and what you want in life.”
