Our next senior to be highlighted in our Senior Spotlight is Halley “Hoolie” Schwartz. Halley is the daughter of Matthew and Linda Schwartz. She has one older brother, Deven, Carbondale Area Class of 2019, and one older sister, Danielle Lawler Melnyk, Carbondale Area Class of 2006. Halley spent each fall as a member of the soccer team and marching band and is currently in her final season representing the Chargerettes on the basketball court.
Halley, who wore #22 each fall, joined the Carbondale Area Girls Varsity Soccer team as an incoming freshman. As a starting defender, Halley played aggressively, demonstrating mental toughness along with a strong determination to succeed. The defender position required Halley to often hang back, until the CA goal needed protecting and gave Halley the opportunity to demonstrate her deep knowledge of the game, her ability to protect the goalie, anticipate passes, and clear the ball- all done with a smile on her face. Defenders have a hard, often unappreciated job on the Soccer field, but the CA defense was stronger with #22 protecting the goal. Halley proved to be a key player for CA Girls Varsity Soccer. Halley has played soccer for Carbondale Area since seventh grade and has played a total of nine seasons, counting time spent as a player for the Carbondale YMCA Youth Soccer Team. She doubled up on Friday nights as a four-year member of the Carbondale Area Marching Band, where she played the bass drum. She is also the Secretary of the Marching Chargers.
Each winter, Halley wears #25 on the basketball court. She is a three-year starter and a four-year varsity member. She has 199 career points; as a sophomore, she had 23 three-point shots in 22 games played. She looks to add to her career point total and earn another home win when she and her Chargerette teammates take on Pittston Area tonight.
Halley is also involved in academic clubs and other extracurricular activities. She is the current president of the Science and Technology Club. She is a member of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and the Spanish Club. She competed in Unified Track & Field for two seasons. Academically, Halley has been a member of Academic Honors, National Honor Society, and the High Honor Roll since seventh grade. Halley’s favorite subject in school is American Government and her favorite CA memories are the pep rallies and bus rides to games with her teammates. After graduating, Halley plans to attend college to major in hospitality and tourism management. The Carbondale Area School District congratulates Halley on her successes thus far and wishes her the best of luck in her future endeavors.
“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.” – Halley Schwartz, Carbondale Area Class of 2021 #CarbondaleAreaClassof2021
