Chick-fil-A ‘Triple A’ – Hopkinsville’s Anna Hernandez

After her freshman season with the Hopkinsville Lady Tiger soccer team, the expectation was that Anna Hernandez would set several records at Hopkinsville High School. Injuries, however, have limited Anna’s chances to be on the pitch with her teammates over the past two seasons. She played in only six matches in 2019, and none in 2020.

While injuries have limited her on the field of play, they have not held her back in the least in the classroom and in her community. She excels academically, in her community activities, and you do not want to go up against her in a speech competition.

The senior at Hopkinsville High School is also taking dual credit classes at Hopkinsville Community College, and participates in the co-op work-based program for Dr. Bottoms at Associates for Dental Arts. When her days are done at Hopkinsville High School, Anna plans to pursue pre-med in college, with the hopes of becoming an Orthopedic Surgeon.

Off the field, she has been very active in extracurricular activities like the Kentucky Youth Assembly where she served as the President of the Senate for KYA in 2020 and was recognized for the Best Overall Bluegrass Bill. The Kentucky Youth Assembly is a mock state legislature in which the students participate in an ultimate government simulation, elected officers, debate bills, and question laws. Anna was elected KYA President of the Senate from among eight other delegates from across the state.

She has also been involved in the Kentucky United Nations Assembly. The Kentucky United Nations Assembly is a 3-day experiential learning conference in which students participate directly in simulated international diplomacy. KUNA offers students the opportunity to experience the richness of cultures from around the world, develop empathy, and hone their critical thinking skills while engaging with a wide variety of perspectives and global issues. Anna was recognized as Outstanding Ambassador for her work in KUNA.

And that is just the beginning of what Anna has been involved in. She has also served in the Key Club, where she was secretary and president, Student Council, National Honor Society, Superintendent Student Vision Committee, HOSA, 4-H, Speech, Marine Biology Club, Youth Leadership, swim team, and yearbook. Key Club President and Secretary, Marine Club President, All American City Youth Finalist, and Gateway Ambassador.

She founded the first Marine Biology Club at Hopkinsville High School during COVID. The club participated in environmental water improvements at Lake Barkley and repaired 40 microscopes to send to elementary schools in Togo, Africa.

She has been a 2-time participant in the United States Naval Academy’s Summer STEM program, where only 5% of applicants are selected to attend each summer. She also participated in the USNA Summer Seminar program this summer.

And if all of that is not enough, she is one of the best young public speakers in the state. Anna is a 3 time Kentucky State Speech Champion with her topics of rivalries, her personal life-changing injury, and becoming an adult.

Anna is an active member of First United Methodist Church where she regularly participates in church services reading the gospel and narrating cantatas. She regularly attends her church youth group, Sunday school class, youth ministry team, and assists with various programs such as VBS, mission camps, children’s services, and community outreach service projects.

Despite her injury battles, Anna has seen some outstanding moments on the field as well. She played as a pool player on the US Women’s National Soccer Team, including playing a game with Abby Wambach. She is a national 3v3 finalist and Kentucky Olympic Development Program player.

Anna gives back to the soccer community by helping coach and ref at the YMCA and has also worked two summers as a coach at Kelley Guth’s Soccer Camps in Clarksville, and Play It All Sports Camps in Clarksville and Hopkinsville.

Her former high school soccer coach Jeff Addison said of Hernandez “as great as she is on the soccer field, she’s just as good or better in the classroom and in her leadership abilities. She’s also an acclaimed public speaker. She will be able to do whatever she wants to do in life.”

In her spare time, which it is hard to believe she can find, she loves to scuba dive, surf, paint, write and take in stray animals.

A true representative of what the Chick-fil-A “Triple A” stands for, Hopkinsville High School’s Anna Hernandez.