One final push propelled Jacob Harker to Salutatorian status for Shelbyville's Class of 2024

Jacob Harker used the final weeks of his educational career at Shelbyville High School pushing toward the top of his graduating class.

When the final grades were calculated, Harker jumped from fourth to second in the Class of 2024, earning him the honor of Salutatorian.

“I found out a little over a week before graduation that I moved from fourth to second,” said Harker. “I didn’t think there was any chance I would make that jump.”

The jump, in fact, was from eighth his freshman year to second by the time graduation arrived.

“I like to think, and people talk about playing the GPA game, I didn’t try to take classes to be salutatorian,” he said. “I just took the classes I feel would benefit me the best and I did the best I could in them.”

Harker will continue that game plan in the fall when he attends Purdue University to study Engineering.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve been a problem solver,” explained Harker on his next path of study. “I feel that is what engineers do, they solve problems.

“Then I took four Engineering classes at Shelbyville and I loved all of those. We would go on field trips and it really feels like what I would like to do.”

Within the engineering field, Harker is most interested in either aerospace or nuclear engineering.

“Aerospace sounds so cool to build planes – to make things that fly,” he said. “With nuclear, I feel like there will always be a job in finding better energy resources.”

Harker was involved in Student Leadership Council, Student Athletic Advisory Council and National Honor Society while at Shelbyville and had accomplished athletic careers as a football player and wrestler.

Athletics was always an option for him at the collegiate level but a late-December knee injury put those plans on hold.

“The injury happened right before New Year’s Eve at the Spartan Classic (in Connersville). I got caught in a weird position and felt the knee go backward and heard the pop and I knew it couldn’t be good,” he explained.

Two doctors advised him to stay off the mat the rest of his senior year. A third doctor, one that would determine if surgery was needed, offered another option.

“He told me if I wore a brace, he thought there was no issue,” said Harker. “So we decided to put the brace on and wrestle. I found that out about four or five days before the sectional (tournament).”

Harker battled through intense pain and limited mobility to qualify for the regional tournament. He did the same thing at the regional and qualified for the semistate before his career finally came to an end – under his own terms.

“At the sectional, there was a period after my second or third match where I thought, ‘Is it really worth it going through the pain?’” recalled Harker. “You only live once I guess. I decided I might as well. I’ve already come this far.

“The pain was pretty bad that first week because I hadn’t been used to wrestling on it and moving it that much. I’d say it was a seven or eight (in terms of pain) when I was wrestling. But I’m all fixed up now.”

Harker had surgery to repair his knee after the season and still maintained his grades while hobbling around the school from class to class.

Harker is considering attempting to be a walk-on to the Purdue wrestling program and, potentially, trying for a spot with the Purdue football program.

“There is always still the dream of trying to walk on at Purdue,” he said. “The worst they can tell me is I’m not good enough. I think I’m going to give it a try once the knee injury heals.”

Harker’s last week rise to salutatorian meant he had to give a speech at his graduation ceremony. He admits to not being prepared for that one final assignment.

“I found out the week before I had to give a speech. I didn’t think there was any chance I was going to give a speech and I found out I had about five days to figure it out. I was shocked,” he said. “(Shelbyville High School Principal Amy Dawson) sent a whole bunch of stuff suggesting things. One thing I saw was pick a theme and stick with it. With the knee injury, I wanted to talk about adversity in life.”

Harker had certainly performed in front of large crowds as a football player and wrestler but addressing his peers and their families inside William L. Garrett Gymnasium was a different kind of challenge.

“I knew I would be nervous,” he said. “To get up there in front of that many people, there is no chance you are going to be cool, calm and collected but I am glad I got to do the Pledge of Allegiance right beforehand because that kind of shook out a lot of the nerves. I ended up really enjoying it. I’m glad I got to give the speech.”

Harker already has a summer job working at a manufacturing warehouse in Franklin to earn money for college expenses and he will be busy on the family farm while completing physical therapy sessions on his knee.

And by mid-August, Harker and his college roommate, Southwestern High School Valedictorian Carter Snepp, will be moving to West Lafayette.