Krystyna Hartling, 17

Why nominated

“Krystyna is an active, intelligent and hard-working kid,” wrote the high school senior’s grandfather, John Hartling. “Her family became a foster child family … Krystyna welcomed these boys into the family and assists in helping raise the boys along with her mother and father. After one year the boys were officially adopted. To help with the family finances she works at the Monument YMCA as a lifeguard and swimming instructor. She is active in the choral groups at Lewis-Palmer High School, and, in spite of working and her commitment to the family, she was selected to participate in their college program. She takes nursing classes at PPCC (Pikes Peak Community College) in addition to the required classes at the high school. She has been elected the president of the Student Nurses Association at the college.”

Q&A

How old were you when your family took in the foster children?

“I was 14. They’re all brothers. But that’s not my first experience with foster children. When I was around 10 years old we’d tried to be foster parents in the Loveland region, but it didn’t work out up there. Then when we moved down here in 2005 we decided to get settled and then we put in our papers and we got the boys."

How old are the boys now?

“Eight, 6 and 5.”

Do you have any other siblings?

“One younger brother.” (Age 15.)

How did you feel when your family got the boys?

“I was excited because I always had wanted a larger family. It was kind of overwhelming because there was three of them. We had only put in our papers for two, but then we got called for three, and we just took them because they needed a home — and it worked out perfectly.”

So they’re officially adopted now?

“Yes. We adopted them in 2007, I think.”

What is your job description at the YMCA?

“Child watch attendant.” Krystyna said that because she recently had jaw surgery, she isn’t working in the pool.

What was the jaw surgery for?

“None of my teeth had lined up, so my upper palate was too small. I couldn’t eat properly, so it caused pain when I ate. They went in and cut under my lip about 5 inches across my jaw, and they broke the bones in the back and kind of reset it."

When was that?

“It happened Dec. 22, and I can’t eat solid food for another five weeks (as of this interview in mid-January). And it’ll take about six months to just make sure everything’s straight after that.”

Has it been hard not being able to eat solid food?

“Not really. I just make really yummy shakes. ... And soup.”

What are your plans for after high school?

“Currently I’m taking part-time college courses through my high school, so during the day I go down to PPCC and take a nursing assistance class. It’s a health and science tech class. So I plan on staying here and continuing my nursing track I guess, and getting my RN."

Do you want to stay in the area?

“Actually I plan on staying here for about a year, and then I’m going from there. I’m kind of keeping my options open.”

What are your hobbies?

“I love to read. … Pretty much whatever I can get my hands on.

“I hang out with my brothers a lot. Whenever I get the chance, I hang out with them. We’ll wrestle around or we’ll play some board games together. I’ll take them swimming once in a while."

Does your grandpa who nominated you live near you?

“He’s actually across the field. My family and he have 5 acres, so there’s kind of like a field between us, so we share 10 acres. It’s on the outskirts of Monument.”