Difficult childhood molds grad

For some students, graduation is a time for looking back on good times, good friends and… For some students, graduation is a time for looking back on good times, good friends and possibly things left undone.

Dawn Hartman should have no regrets.

During her college career, Hartman was more than simply a student. She was a teacher’s assistant for the course Russian Fairytales; she was part of the Auckland University Student Association and the Auckland Volunteer Outreach in New Zealand, where she studied abroad; she was external vice president of Phi Eta Sigma, the honor fraternity; a member of Phi Sigma Pi, a co-ed national honors society; Psi Chi, the national psychology honors society; and a corps member of the pre-school mentoring program Jumpstart, as well as a tutor for Somali refugee children.

On Sunday she graduated with a degree in psychology with a grade point average of 3.7.

Hartman also found time to work at Pamela’s Restaurant as a waitress and interned at the Allegheny County of Human Services, helping foster children find jobs, homes and succeed in school.

She was especially invested in the latter work, as her own experience as a foster child had given her immense compassion for children in the same situation.

Hartman’s father died when she was 14, and her mother became too despondent to care for her and her four siblings. Hartman, who has a twin sister as well, took care of her mother and three younger siblings during high school before she was placed in foster care. Her mother died two years later.

Hartman was 16.

Her grades dropped, and her class performance suffered throughout this time period. But Hartman did not allow these obstacles to stop her from excelling in school. She knew how important education would be if she wanted to succeed in life.

“They threatened to expel me from school because I was late so much,” she said. “I had to walk my younger siblings to school every day because my mom just wasn’t capable.”

Hartman’s grades were too low for admission to Pitt, but in her application essay she explained her situation and was admitted. From there, she proved that Pitt was right to admit her, excelling in both the classroom and the volunteering field.

She said that while some people naturally have a passion for volunteering, she knows what it is like to live on both ends of the giving and receiving spectrum.

“The church up the street would donate a whole basket of food, or a whole turkey or something like that to help six kids, and I remember how grateful I was,” Hartman said. “It was amazing, the compassion that strangers can have for you, and it definitely pushes you to help other people.”

Hartman studied abroad in New Zealand her junior year at Pitt, where she worked to provide opportunities and connections for people to participate in community service, through the University of Auckland’s volunteer office. She also worked to bring awareness for African refugees through the film “Invisible Children.”

Hartman plans to return to New Zealand for a month with some friends this summer. She has not secured a job yet but hopes to find one along the lines of her past experience in New Zealand, creating programs to aid others in fostering service projects.

Hartman says she will have to continue to help others in life “in order to feel successful” – it is just a part of who she is.

More than 20 friends and members of Hartman’s family attended commencement on Sunday, showing their support for her impressive accomplishments.

“I don’t have birth parents, but I have more support than most people I know,” Hartman said.

Hartman has a story that is different from other motivated, successful college students. She knows what it is like to be the one on the receiving end, and now she loves giving back.