Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 18, 1994 TAG: 9407140007
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Amanda "Mandy" Harkrader has her own version of D-Day. On June 6, 1988, Mandy - then a seventh-grader - ran into the path of a pickup truck while riding her bicycle.
The encounter cost her three days in a coma, several weeks in the hospital and six months of her life that she can't recall. It took some work to regain her mathematical abilities. Sometimes, she'd forget what she was in the middle of doing. When Harkrader returned to school, her classmates didn't always understand why she was "different."
"It hurt, it hurt a lot," she said.
Today, she's outgrown the pain and bitterness. Her graduation this afternoon near the top of her class at Radford High School with a handful of scholarships caps a remarkable recovery. "It's been pretty difficult but I've gotten a lot of good out of it too," she said this week. "I'm a much stronger person and a much better person because of it."
Still, invisible scars remain. Harkrader's mishap has altered her life and still haunts her. Some days, she fears it's not over, and with good reason. About a year ago, Harkrader suffered a seizure at school. "I thought I'd escaped it," she said. When she came to in the ambulance, she said, she was scared her troubles were starting all over again.
Additional seizures - the most recent in December - have cramped her style but not her determination to move beyond the past, to a point where her life is no longer constrained by the accident's aftermath. While she may not drive until she's seizure-free for six months, Harkrader remains an active, cheery 17-year-old. She focuses a lot of her energy and emotions into artistic endeavors, a lifelong avocation she now plans to pursue as a graphic design major at Radford University.
"It's my therapy," she said of her art. "It's the way I release all of my tensions."
At the suggestion of her art teacher, she has exploited her seizure experiences in a mixed media piece called "The Storm." In a companion poem of the same name, she yearns for "the brave and fearless person that I used to be."
Her rendering of "The Storm" depicts concentric circles of jigsaw puzzle pieces around a central light. "When I wake up, they have to tell me what happened. It's like putting the pieces of the puzzle back together," she explained.
Her portfolio also includes wire sculpture, pottery and works in a variety of graphical media, from oils to pastels. Radford University has bought one of her paintings. Rep. Rick Boucher's office wanted to buy another that had been entered in the Congressional Competition for the Arts in 1992. "I told them I just can't part with it. It's my baby," the aspiring art professional conceded, adding, "That could be a problem some day."
When not engaged in artistic activities, Harkrader has been involved as a member of the National Honor Society, president of the Art Club, a member of the Mountain Academic Competition Conference and Odyssey of the Mind teams, and a contributor to the yearbook, literary magazine and student newspaper. This summer, she plans to work as a counselor at DiscoveryWorks camps and at her church camp.
She takes time to take care of herself - despite her busy calendar - to keep from becoming overly tired or stressed out.
Although she'll continue to live at home this fall, Harkrader admits some nervousness about heading off to college. Her parents, George and Teresa Harkrader, have been especially supportive, she said.
Completing Advanced Placement English and government at Radford High has given her a leg up on some of her classmates, too.
Mandy has a four-year, $4,000 scholarship from the Radford University Radford Scholars program, plus a renewable grant worth $1,000 a year from the Radford Noon Rotary Club.
But the one that meant the most, she said, was the Sevareid Memorial Scholarship, a $100 scholarship for an individuals who have overcome obstacles.
"The important thing is: I made it," she said. "I'm not where I could be. I could still be waiting to walk again."
Radford High School Class of '94
Graduates: 87
Valedictorian: Raymond Chung
Salutatorian: Andrew Cogswell
Scholarships: 18
by CNB