Kristine Hrin is like Batman, living a double life; in school she is an introverted art teacher quietly inspiring her students to expand their creative horizons. But once she steps onto the golf course she becomes a confident leader, there to teach with passion and purpose.

Since she was a high school student at Connelly School of the Holy Child Hrin immersed herself in arts, especially after seeing the work her favorite art teacher did, Ms. Karroccio. This passion didn’t leave her during high school, it followed with her to the University of Delaware where she spent one semester doing psychology, but knew deep down that she needed to do what she loved. Knowing that she needed to do art, Hrin followed a motto she stands by, “Time goes by really fast, so figure out what you like.”

In the second semester of her first year she switched to fine art where she was able to fully pursue her passions. Graduating with a fine arts degree, concentrating in sculpture and painting it was time for her to find her first job. Beginning with art exhibitions, Hrin found that the job wasn’t truly about art, but more about money, the wealthy collecting pieces they don’t understand.

Her career brought her back to her roots and began to teach at Holy Child and went from school to school until she ended up at Walter Johnson. Ten years there came to a rough end when she got violently ill, causing her to leave the place she called home for 10 long years. But little did she know this large change would bring her to a new place she now calls home.

Only being here for two-years Hrin has found her best friend, Erin Marshall. The two of them are the Davis Love III and Fred Couples of the school; an unstoppable golf force. The two of them coach varsity golf together; where they guide dedicated players such as sophomore Siwon Lee.

Lee has grown to be fond of Hrin’s efforts in and out of the school setting. Lee met Hrin his freshman year when he made the varsity golf team. She welcomed him with open arms leading him and his team to have a successful golf season.

Although golf is a large part of their strong connection, art brought them even closer. The art room became a space where the two of them can converse about golf, while indulging the world of art. Feeling Hrin’s help and support wherever he is, Lee said, “She has helped me grow by motivating me to play more golf and be more consistent in my artwork.”

Lee is just one of the countless students Hrin has helped grow artistically. Junior Isabel Thomas is one of those countless students. Thomas had Hrin’s ceramics 1 class her sophomore year and since then has never forgotten the effort Hrin put in. Thomas had nothing but praises about Hrin’s efforts in ceramics class, calling her kind, caring and patient. Emphasizing this one specific time, Thomas said, “ She helped me figure out the placement of my stencil on my ceramic tray. I was having trouble figuring out where to put my stencil so that it looks good and she helped me place it based on the rule of thirds.”

Another thing Thomas remembers is Hrin’s moral values, the value to try and explore until you find what you love. Thomas has countless memories of Hrin helping her through the artistic process through experimenting and passion. Specifically Thomas said, “She has helped me learn that it is good to experiment with things before you do a final so you know what you like and what looks good.”

Thomas wasn’t the only one who benefited from Hrin’s artistic talent, Sophomore Manha Ameen has Hrin’s ceramics 1 class her freshman year and will never forget the memories she gained from the class. One fond memory Ameen has is when Hrin helped her glue her broken pot back together. Working on this pot for weeks Ameen was determined to finish it, but after it took a fall, she lost all hope. Ameen said, “ She helped me glue my pot together. I was so happy
when we were able to fix it and get it fired to be displayed.”

In just two years, Hrin has become a central figure in the school community, serving as both a teacher and a coach. Balancing all her in school duties with her other passions like interior design, listening to the Weeknd, and being with family. Together, these pursuits and passions reflect all the sides of who Hrin is.