Service That Lasts Beyond the Season
Every year, a particular day at the end of September is invariably reserved for a former student at Hamilton Southeastern High School [HSE]. Carrie Colglazier unfortunately lost her life in the early 2000s in an automobile incident, leaving a lasting impact on those who knew her as well as administrators and students. In 2015, The Carrie Colglazier Workday came to be, bringing somewhere between 90 to 150 students involved in FFA, National Honors Society, and Girls Track and Soccer, programs Carrie was wholeheartedly committed to during her time at HSE, to volunteer with friends in tribute to the life of Carrie.
“It was very fun to work alongside my teammate,” Junior Anissa Lammie, long-time track and field runner states, “we both had a lot of fun while serving our community and it felt good to help other people. It was awesome that we got to collaborate to do our task efficiently and to do it to the best of our abilities.”
On the day of September 21st, 2025, from morning to afternoon, it was inevitable for students to learn new things during the hours they spent preforming a multitude of assigned tasks, as well as learn more about Carrie and the profound legacy she left behind.
“I learned that doing yard work is harder than it seems,” Anissa quips, “I also learned that giving back to my community and giving back to others is a good cause for Carrie and the venerable person she was.”
After a consistent 6 years of this event, the event still has continued to evolve, grow, and experience a multitude of changes throughout the time it has been a part of HSE.
“I think one of the reasons why our numbers continue to be good is that Tom Yantz is still in charge of FFA, Julie Alano is still the head track coach, and Greg Davidson is still the head soccer coach at HSE,” Jim self, mentor and friend to Carrie, as well as athletic director at HSE said, “Those were all the same people that were in place when Carrie was a student here. So, I think that, because it’s personal, that we share Carrie’s story, not just for us but for the kids.”
Carrie’s life is not only represented through the workday, but also through a scholarship along with a decoration titled the Set A Good Example [SAGE] award.
“I don’t legacy is defined by time, but by impact,” Jim Self excludes, “and when I think about Carrie Colglazier I think about Abigal Cox, Mason Alexander, and their very short time here at HSE as well as in their very short time in life. That’s impact.”
