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Overachiever Just Getting Started

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By MEGAN HUSSEY, Tribune correspondent

Published: December 9, 2007

Stephanie Hull bench-pressed 140 pounds en route to winning Wednesday's weightlifting meet at River Ridge High School.

Her strength, however, shows in other ways, too.

Yes, the 16-year-old from Spring Hill is a standout athlete on the school's track and weightlifting teams. Last year, she placed second in the countywide weightlifting competition and was named best field event person on Gulf High School's track team.

She also maintains a 4.5 grade-point average, is active in several school groups and has been volunteering with Hernando-Pasco Hospice for four or five months.

"I like being the best," she said. "So, I just push myself."

That philosophy applies to helping others, too. From a young age, Hull has wanted to be a doctor.

"I used to read Lurlene McDaniel's books about kids who had cancer," she said. "It made me want to get into medicine, to help fight cancer."

Working with hospice gives her the chance to think about a vital, challenging part of the medical field.

"In hospitals, doctors do everything possible to save the patient," she said. "At hospice, we work to make them happy and comfortable in their last days."

For five hours every Sunday, Hull helps prepare and deliver meals to hospice patients. She also offers company and conversation.

"The work can make me sad, because the patients do pass away," she said. "But I like doing it because I feel like I'm helping."

Along with her hospice work, Hull works with the River Ridge High School Interact Club, which is preparing holiday food baskets.

The importance of giving back is something Hull learned early.

"We've tried to always be in our kids' lives and be active and show them that there's more to life than just school, and you want to give back to your community and have fun, too," said her mom, Melinda Hull, a River Ridge secretary.

In addition to sports and volunteering, Hull is a member of the National Honor Society and a math tutor. She is a dual enrollment student at Pasco-Hernando Community College and has earned several top honors at the French Congres foreign language competition in Orlando.

"If you look up 'overachiever' in the dictionary, you'll see Stephanie's picture," said father William Hull, an administrative assistant at River Ridge High. "She's also a wonderful person."

Stephanie Hull, who comes across as easy-going despite being so self-assured, said she stays on top of her busy schedule with a good organizational system and by going over things ahead of time.

She needs to. On top of a full course load and practices at River Ridge, Hull is taking 18 credits at PHCC, tutors two hours a week and spends Sundays at hospice.

Hull comes from a family of achievers. Older sister Tiffany, 18, is a senior at River Ridge and also dual-enrolled at PHCC and a National Honor Society member. Brother William, 15, is a freshman at the school, plays guitar, has a black belt in karate and was River Ridge Middle's first male cheerleader.

Hull said she would like to play college sports and maybe even enlist in the military. Of course, she has no plans to stop volunteering.

"I plan to continue my hospice work, even as a doctor," she said. "I really want to volunteer there."

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