Hovater hopes to enter health care
Editor’s Note: Franklin’s Future is a regular feature spotlighting a high school senior in Franklin County and what they have planned for life after graduation.
Drennon Hovater, an 18-year-old senior at Tharptown High School, will soon receive his diploma and begin that infamous “next chapter” of his life he has heard about for so long.
Hovater, like many other seniors, has been thinking about the day he would graduate since he entered high school.
For someone who has grown up in Franklin County and has attended Tharptown schools his entire life, attending college will be a different experience, but Hovater has several goals in mind that might make the transition a much smoother process.
“I’ve decided that I want to go to Northwest for my first two years before I transfer somewhere else,” Hovater said. “I think I might transfer to Wallace or somewhere I can receive my degree.”
That degree Hovater wants to receive is a licensed physical therapist assistant (LPTA) degree, which will allow him to help other people on their road to physical recovery.
“My mom is the administrator at Russellville Healthcare and I work there doing floor maintenance,” Hovater said. “Because of my job there, I have been around many LPTAs and I think that it’s a career I would enjoy doing.”
Being an athlete has also allowed Hovater to see firsthand how valuable an LPTA can be.
“Since I’ve been in high school, I’ve played basketball, baseball and golf,” he said. “I know when players get injured, physical therapy can really help them get back to where they were before they got hurt, and that’s the main reason I want to have that career – so I can help people.”
Hovater said he’s looking forward to his college experience and the changes it will bring.
“Once I get to a bigger school, I know I’m going to enjoy meeting new people and socializing more,” he said.
“And I think I’ll also like being able to wake up later and have classes at different times.”
Even though Hovater is looking forward to the changes that come with graduating, he said there are still things about his high school experience he will miss.
“I will definitely miss coming to school and seeing my friends everyday,” he said. “I’m also going to miss playing sports and going to a lot of the games. And I guess I’ll miss some of my teachers, too.”
In addition to the sports activities Hovater has been involved in during high school, he has also been involved in Students Against Destructive Decisions, the CERT rescue team, and the Future Business Leaders of America organization.
“I’ve really enjoyed going to Tharptown and just living here in general,” Hovater said. “Most of the time I like the fact that you know everybody and I like living in the country.”
Hovater said his country life has allowed him to enjoy the outdoors, something he loves to do in his free time.
“I love doing just about anything outside,” he said. “This summer I plan on spending a lot of time with my friends, hanging out at the lake and riding four wheelers.
“Some of my friends and I are also trying to plan our senior trip,” he added. “We don’t really know where we want to go yet; we just know we don’t want to go to Panama City.”
Unlike many seniors who cannot visualize where they will be 10 years down the road, Hovater seems to have a good idea about the road he needs to take to achieve the goals he has set for himself.
“In the future, I hope to have a job that I enjoy that pays good money and I hope to have a family,” he said. “I also want to live here in the area. If a job opportunity becomes available somewhere else, I’ll probably go, but I like it here and wouldn’t mind living here in the future.”
Hovater is the son of Tim and Brenda Hovater. He has one brother, Trenton; a sister-in-law, Billie; and a new nephew named Cayden.
