Altenburg siblings triple team North Harford graduation

Jun. 10—North Harford High School held its graduation ceremony June 7 at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium where 280 seniors were honored.

Three of the graduates came from the Altenburg family. Triplets Noah, Marissa and Jarrett Altenburg reflected on their experiences at North Harford and how those experiences shaped their plans.

The Aegis caught up with them and their parents, Missy and Robb Atlenburg, to discuss their years at North Harford.

Q: What were some challenges you faced as you headed toward graduation?

Noah: A challenge I faced was mustering up motivation to continue doing my school well.

Missy and Robb Altenburg: Noah handled school very well, especially once he [met] Mr. Leibel, his business/ finance teacher. He found his calling right away. He has held a 3.5 GPA or higher his entire school career. He is extremely focused and organized.

Marissa: Managing time between finals and college requirements with filling out scholarships got tricky.

Missy and Robb Altenburg: Marissa found her way quickly in school and in her outside life through Younglife. She needed help grounding her study habits and time management, which came quickly with our guidance.

Jarrett: There were not too many challenges for me, just picking the right classes that fit for what I want to do and maintaining good grades in the AP and honors classes.

Missy and Robb Altenburg: Nothing ever bothered Jarrett as far as school. He never missed a day of school. He has carried a 3.5 GPA or higher his entire school career. Sports kept him working hard.

Q: How was your experience at North Harford?

Noah: My experience at North Harford was overall good. The sports I played [soccer, wrestling and lacrosse] helped the school year to go by fast and they also introduced me to some great friends. Additionally, most of my teachers were helpful and caring.

Marissa: My time in the actual North Harford building was limited by COVID.

Jarrett: My experience at North Harford high school was good. The teachers were always nice and helpful. And I had some great friends. (Jarrett also was on the soccer, wrestling and lacrosse teams with Noah.)

Q: How did you separate yourself from your siblings?

Noah: It is not hard to separate from my siblings. We have always been in separate classes and do things separately. However, I'll be happy to [be] back together.

Marissa: I will miss my brothers; however, we have been apart in school since kindergarten. I will stay in touch with them while we are going to school and the service until we meet back at home.

Jarrett: It is not hard to separate at this time. My parents have given us strong bonding tools. We will be good apart and better when we come together again.

Q: Who helped you the most during this journey and how?

Noah: My parents helped me the most by always helping me figure things out and by being supportive of any decision that I make.

Marissa: Mrs. Chandler has helped me the most while at North Harford. I have had her every year starting in freshman year for journalism. She takes the time out of her day to listen and care for us on a student and personal level.

Jarrett: My parents helped me the most during my journey through high school by pushing me to get good grades and be the best version of myself.

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Missy and Robb Altenburg: I would say the best thing we did was to start in fifth grade giving them more responsibility and teaching them that teachers and staff at school deserve the highest respect.

Q: What was your motivation to finish school?

Noah: My motivation to finish school was I needed to graduate to be able to go into the Marines and to be able to go to college and play lacrosse in college.

Marissa: I am very excited to go to college so the idea that after I finish high school, I can spend my time there got me through.

Jarrett: My motivation to finish school was the Marines. I knew I had to finish high school in order to be successful and move on to that next phase in my life.

Q: What's next for you?

Noah: I'm headed to Parris Island for Marine boot camp. I chose the USMC to challenge myself to the highest level.

Marissa: I will be going to Messiah University to study biomedical biology and Spanish. Then I plan on going to medical school to become a doctor.

Jarrett: I am leaving for the Marines after graduation. I was raised to be strong and of Marine Corps quality. The USMC offers me so many opportunities for my future.