After four full years at Hidden Valley High School, senior Grace Kinzie is ready to take on new adventures. Summarizing a high school experience is never easy, but Grace’s story is one of passion, resilience and kindness.
Grace speaks fondly of her time in high school, particularly her experiences in the science department and on athletic teams. She credits much of her inspiration to science teacher and track coach Ms. Oakes and expressed deep appreciation for the encouragement she received from faculty and teammates alike. Grace also served as president of the Hidden Valley Science Club for two years and was an active member of the journalism program, where she found her voice within the school community.
“The staff at this school make it so special,” Kinzie said. “The science department has helped me so much—especially Ms. Oakes. She’s my track coach and my school mom. I literally adore her. I don’t know how I could have survived high school without her.”
Despite managing some injury setbacks, Grace remained deeply involved in sports, including track, cross country and swimming. She even began helping coach swimmers during her junior year. She hopes to take up cycling soon to complete the trio of disciplines needed to compete in triathlons.
Grace doesn’t compare herself to others when it comes to athletics. Instead, she focuses on doing her personal best and enjoying the journey.
“I never would have believed years ago that I’d reach the level of running I have now,” she said.
One of her favorite memories comes from freshman year: pretending to be planets with her teammates while Ms. Oakes stood in the middle of the track as the sun.
“I loved that I was Pluto and that Ms. Oakes was the sun,” she recalled. “That was pretty great. The team was so much smaller then.”
Family has also played a big role in her athletic journey. She cherishes the experience of being on a team with her younger brother, John, and fondly recalls her mom making French toast for her on early meet mornings, something she says she always looked forward to, regardless of the outcome of the race.
As graduation nears, Grace plans to kick off her summer with a four-day tugboat trip with close friends, completely off the grid.
Her friend group, she says, is one of her greatest sources of joy and support.
“They’re just so down-to-earth,” she said. “We appreciate the simple things, and we’ve always treated each other with kindness.”
Looking ahead, Grace will attend East Tennessee State University to study interior architecture. Her interest in the field dates back to childhood, when she was an avid HGTV fan. Hidden Valley offered only a single CAD architecture class, which she completed in her freshman year—so she’s eager to dive deeper into the subject in college.
Grace’s advice to underclassmen is simple: Don’t live your life just for college.
“College applications are finicky,” she said. “It’s not worth missing out on memories with your friends.”
She also made the intentional decision to stay off social media during high school, preferring to stay present in the moment. Though high school hasn’t always been easy, Grace is leaving with a strong sense of gratitude—for the people who stood by her, and for the experiences that shaped her.
“I think I found the most amazing people in high school,” she said. “High school wasn’t the best time for me, but the people got me through. I’m just so blessed to have known everyone.”
