Harry Witte is an athlete, student, and a very hard worker. Witte has played football for two years and has been on the track and field team for six years. He also takes AP Spanish and AP Language along with working at Ricolita’s Cafe in the Latrobe Art Center.

”You just go with the flow. You do what you have to do everyday and you find time in between things. Even though you want to rest you just have to get things done because if you don’t do them now, it’s going to be a pain in the butt later. Just take it step by step,” said Witte.

With how stretched Witte is for time, he has learned to stay organized and on task while not losing sight of having fun and doing things meaningful to him.

“I’ve learned time management, I’ve always been a procrastinator but these responsibilities have taught me that I can’t put things off. It is really helping me prepare for college and is helping me end my bad habits.”

With an impressive resume, Witte plans to attend college.

“I’m going to the California University of Pennsylvania, let’s go Vulcans! I was looking at St. Vincent but Cal U was always my number one.”

At Cal U, Witte plans to slow down a little bit and give himself time to reconfigure to the new stresses of college life.

“I’m not doing track but I would definitely look into playing football and lacrosse after freshman year because I want to dedicate my first year to academics.”

An average teen would not be able to keep up with all of his activities such as track, lacrosse, AP classes, and downtime with friends. He however, not only keeps up with his activities, but strives from all the responsibilities placed on him.

“I’m not a quitter. I absolutely refuse to quit. I love lacrosse because it’s such a great team sport and I like track because you only have only yourself to depend on and only yourself to blame. Last year in track I didn’t do anything because I pulled my groin. It was a disappointment to me that I couldn’t do anything last year so I’m excited to come back this year and work.”

When some teenagers take on the burdens that Witte has, they tend to get overwhelmed in their personal life, maybe not communicating with friends as much or losing out on relationships. Witte has taken his responsibilities and worked hard to ensure that they don’t rule his life.

“The week seems to last longer because I have so much to do. Monday through Friday is an hour of homework, track practice, lacrosse practice, and getting home at 9:30. I have no time during the week, but I try to have all my work done by the weekend so I can just relax and chill so I’m ready to get back in it on Monday and not physically dead when I go to practice,” said Witte.

Parents cannot always support their children when they try to take on too much. Parents have seen what stress and too much responsibility does to people and they try to shelter their kids. Not Harry J. Witte and Rita Witte.

“I’m so happy that they support me, my mama and papa support me in everything I do. I went up to my mom and told her that I was playing lacrosse and she asked why I would wait until my last year to get into this sport and spend the money but still supported me nonetheless,” said Witte.

Rita Witte, mother of Harry Witte, is an Italian-American immigrant who is now an entrepreneur who owns Ricolita’s Cafe in the Latrobe Art Center. Before Latrobe, Rita Witte lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania for roughly 19 years and moved to Florida for seven years. Rita Witte started off in the Latrobe attending local farmer’s markets to sell her authentic Italian cuisine. She was noticed by the owners of the Latrobe Art Center and moved in to fill the vacancy. Children of immigrants often have a lot expected of them from their parents and the Wittes are no exception.

“I know as an immigrant things are harder, you aren’t expected to do much and nothing is handed to you, you have to go out there and prove yourself. I think in the same way no one expects anything of me so I want to go out there and prove myself. Anything I do is my own,” said Witte.

With two AP classes, work, lacrosse, track and football, Witte is definitely proving himself through all of the hard work and dedication he puts in to make everything he does his own.