S. Indiana high school senior among top students in nation

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) - One day, Harrison Knable may see his name on the ballot for the gubernatorial race, or he may practice corporate law in the private sector. For now, he spends his days at New Albany High School and managing New Albany's Zesto.

Knable, a senior at New Albany High School, is one of three students across Indiana, and 161 across the country to be named a 2018 U.S. Presidential Scholar.

The distinction comes nearly three months after Knable submitted the application, which he says took a month just to fill out. The New Albany High School senior submitted his ACT and SAT scores (36 and 1500, respectively) and a few essays to be considered for the distinction. He was "shocked" when he found out he had been selected.

Knable hasn't always had his eyes set on academics. At one point, he hoped to play college football, but a chronic back injury derailed that.

"I was decent but I was never that great (at sports). I wanted something that I could be the best at. Since I have that kind of natural disposition towards academics, I figured if I could latch onto this and give it my all, this could be the thing I'm best at. I'm not going to say that I'm the best at academics because that'd be a bold statement, but I like to think I've had my successes in my academic career thus far ."

Knable says the injury helped him focus, noting he had three hours a day free that he used to spend at practice, but even before the injury school was easy for him. He has memories of being frustrated with the more "babyish" things in kindergarten, such as coloring and drawing. It was in seventh grade, after a talk with his parents, that he realized he could do well academically, but he would have to be the one to earn it.

"The biggest piece of (my parents') support in my life thus far is they really let me do my own thing, they never pushed me one way or the other," he said. "There was the fairly standard expectation of 'you're not going to get a C and you're not going to get in trouble with the cops. You do your own thing and whether you succeed or fail is totally up to you.' At a young age, when they told me that, I was fortunate enough to have the mental wherewithal to realize that meant I had to work. That they weren't going to give me anything. If my own parents aren't going to give me anything, I can't expect anyone else to."

From that point on, he says he managed to balance academics and athletics fairly well until his injury. After that, he dove into his academics and created a new social identity.

"Sports was my bread and butter. That was all I knew ... I had to find another route to find my success in high school and find my place within the whole social dynamic," he said. "That was when I started to take my academics more seriously because it was all I had left."

Being a wrestler and football player taught Knable work ethic from an early age, something he says is the difference between being smart and being successful. That hard work is one thing that sets Knable apart from other students, according to one of his teachers, Clark Mumaw.

"When I had Harrison, his classmates, who were intelligent, would say, 'Harrison got this', 'Harrison got that' or 'It comes easy to Harrison.' They don't see when he would come in before school or after school and ask questions - questions about things he was doing outside of school," Mumaw said. "It's not that he is intelligent, but he is incredibly hardworking when it comes to his academics. He wants to be better than everybody. The potential is there because he is intelligent, but the motivation, I think, is what takes him past most people."

Mumaw was named by Knable as his most influential teacher, which the teacher said was "very, very cool" and even made him blush a bit. Knable said he picked Mumaw because he was personable and his international baccalaureate chemistry class was the first time he felt truly challenged in school. Knable said "his class really . slapped me in the face, day one, that I wasn't going to be able to go by the seat of my pants. I really had to dig down and buy into it."

Knable learned many lessons in that class that went beyond the science, such as different studying and note-taking tools and the habit of delving beyond the traditional subject matter. He would often stay up until 2 a.m. studying the concepts behind the lessons being taught, which in turn made the class easier.

Knable plans to attend Indiana University's Kelley School of Business this fall and has his eye on law school after that with the even bigger goal of one day running for office.

His interest in politics comes from both of his parents. He recalls his mother Jessica, vice president of the Floyd County Republican Party, subjecting him to talk radio growing up. She would never let him change the station and eventually, he learned to like it. "I'd start listening to the talk shows and say, 'OK, this is actually pretty interesting,'" he remembered.

From his father, Dr. Al Knable, who tells him "all politics are local," he's been able to see the inner workings of the government.

"I remember one time when I was deciding if I wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer, that was a big debate for me for a while. I ultimately decided to be a lawyer because I want to run for office someday and (my father) said, 'Well, you know I ran for office as a doctor.' I said, 'Dad, when I say I want to run for office I'm not talking city council, I'm thinking a little bigger."

Knable admits he's young and the plan might change along the way, but he hopes to one day to be governor or a U.S. senator.

"I think politics matter just because it's your life, whether you like to admit it or not. And I know a lot of people are apathetic towards it but every single person is affected by the government. All levels of government, local, federal, state, international," he said.

For now, Knable says he has "senioritis" and looks forward to a break before starting college this fall. He says being recognized as a presidential scholar is a great way to leave a mark outside the sports arena.

"With academics, there's never really a crowning accomplishment. You don't win state in athletics. There's no championship, no MVP. This is kind of a culmination of everything I've done for the past 12 years coming to a point," he said. "A representation of the work that I put in there, that there is something tangible that is associated with academic excellence."

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Source: News and Tribune, https://bit.ly/2InM2XE

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Information from: News and Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind., http://www.newsandtribune.com