Falcon Flashback | Helen Holmberg Herbert '97

 

I started at O’Neal in 2^nd grade in 1987.  My family moved to Florida when I was in 6^th grade but we returned in 1994 and I attended 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th grades. I graduated in 1997.

 

 

I had so much adrenaline pumping through my body when I got the news that I’m not sure I remember it correctly! But here is what I think happened!

 

The letter came in the mail and my mother brought the letter to me while I was in class at O’Neal. I had been pretty happy with making it to finals weekend, so I remember not feeling too much pressure, but when I read that I won, I screamed with excitement. I remember many of my classmates (Dan Thomason, Gabrielle Miller-Messner, Tiffany O’Gwynn, Danica Zupic, Jennifer Madden, and Thomas Davis, among others) jumping up and down with me! Even the teachers were celebrating with me – pretty sure Beth Whitman and Kit Raulerson were there.  

 

And then of course being part of the Morehead program was a great experience. It brought me to UNC and I’m so proud to be a Tar Heel. My highlights from my undergraduate years were studying abroad in London and serving as the Chair of the UNC Honor Court.  Through the Morehead program, I took a 4-week Outward Bound course in Maine, worked with at-risk elementary students in Philadelphia, and interned at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC.

 

 

Thoughts of O’Neal come back to me all the time. I regularly run into O’Neal connections. Knowing someone from O’Neal gives you a unique kinship.

Now that my son is in 3rd grade, I’ve enjoyed sharing my memories from Mrs. Harris’ 3rd grade class. I wish I had my yearbook but I think you, Will Tattersall, and Gabrielle Miller-Messner were in that class.

Mrs. Harris was one of the best teachers I ever had and one of my favorites. She ran a tight ship. She challenged and encouraged us with competitions and awards: some you wanted to win, some you didn’t.  I got an award for being the first to finish reading a collection of short stories, as well as the “lunch box award” because I was always forgetting to bring my lunch box home. I received my first “F” when I failed one of her pop quizzes. One Friday afternoon in March, she rolled a TV on a cart into the classroom, and we spent the afternoon watching the ACC tournament. That was my introduction to ACC basketball, and I’ve been a fan ever since! 

An especially great memory was running into Mrs. Harris at UNC home football games while I was in college. I can’t remember exactly what she said –it was a mix of her being proud of me while checking to make sure I was working hard - and I remember the big hug she gave me.

 

 

After graduating from college, I decided to go to more school! I went to law school at Wake Forest and then got an LLM in Taxation from NYU.  I then moved to Charlotte to work for a law firm as a tax attorney.  I stayed in Charlotte for 15 years.  I met my husband there and had 2 children.  Then in 2021, my family moved to Wilmington. We love living at the beach. My son, Thomas, is in 3rd grade and my daughter, Elizabeth, just started Kindergarten at Wrightsville Beach Elementary.  After working as an in-house counsel for the past 10 years, I decided this year to open my own law firm.

About the author: 
Jared Lina '97 is a classmate of Helen's who also was co-valedictorian, along with Helen Holmberg and Gabrielle Miller-Messner.  Jared attended Duke University, known for its single-digit acceptance rate; Helen was O’Neal’s first-ever Morehead Scholar; and Gabrielle was a National Merit Finalist, who went to Dartmouth. The Class of 1997 rocks!

Want to nominate someone for Falcon Flashback? Email alumni@onealschool.org.

Read More Falcon Flashbacks!

Helen Holmberg Scholarship
The Helen Holmberg Scholarship was created in Helen's honor. It is a 4-year merit scholarship for the Upper School which qualifying 8th-grade O'Neal students may apply. Email Admissions@ONealSchool.org for more information.