Standing on the bleachers in new high heels and black dress, Audrey Quirk, senior, anxiously waited for the crowning of the 2012 Hatchet Hop Pioneer Queen. It had been a moment Quirk had been looking forward to ever since her selection to Hatchet Hop court. Nominated by Pep Club for her optimistic look on life, Quirk could not wait for the dance.
“I was really nervous, but the dance was still a lot of fun,” Quirk said.
Kelly Owen, senior, stood in the front row of nominees as she waited for Quirk to be named Pioneer Queen. But when Owen heard senior Will Haenni call her own name, she was shocked.
“The first thing that popped into my head was Audrey,” Owen said. “Everyone, including myself, was expecting her to win and when she didn’t, I knew exactly what to do.”
Owen stepped down onto the gym floor and walked over to accept her crown. As Cathy McGrath, senior principal, placed the crown on her head, Owen quickly took it off and explained what she wanted to do. Owen waved Quirk down and told her she deserved the recognition.
“I’ve never felt happier in my life than when I gave Audrey the crown,” Owen said. “It feels like a blur now, but I’ll always remember her hug and great big smile.”
After accepting the crown and flowers from Owen, Quirk walked to Pioneer King Myles Artis, senior, for their dance with tears of joy streaming down her face. Owen’s seemingly small act of kindness made Quirk’s night into one she’ll never forget.
When Owen, a four-year varsity tennis player and member of National Honors Society, Student Council and Link Leaders, was told by her parents her simple act of kindness was recognized by KSDK News and the Webster-Kirkwood Times, she was overwhelmed.
“I didn’t like the idea [of going on the news] at all,” Owen said. “I didn’t want the attention on me because it was more about Audrey.”
Although the fame seemed a little much to her, Owen enjoyed becoming somewhat of a celebrity with Quirk. She appreciated the thoughtful compliments she received from friends, students and adults throughout the week following the dance, along with the flowers sent to her from KHS administration.
It wasn’t until the day after the dance when he received a call from KSDK asking for an interview with his daughter that John Quirk heard what happened at Hatchet Hop.
“I was just standing in the living room crying,” John said. “My daughter is a national celebrity.”
At birth, Quirk was starved from oxygen for approximately one minute, causing minor brain damage. Despite this set back, Quirk consistently excels in school with straight A’s.
“She may not be at the same reading and writing level as everyone else,” John said, “but I really don’t care. She’s a champ.”
Her enthusiasm and spirit has always been Quirk’s most noticeable characteristic. She has attended nearly every sporting event held by the school, and plans to continue doing so after graduation.
“Audrey has no enemies,” John said. “Everyone’s her friend. Period. She just loves life.”
