09/11/2026
A Simple Decision to Step In: How two Hartford High School students turned an ordinary walk from practice into an act of compassion.
What started as an ordinary afternoon after track practice became an unexpected opportunity for two Hartford High School students to show compassion, maturity and a willingness to help.
Juan Romero and Josais Robles were leaving practice when they noticed a man stumbling near the railroad tracks. They didn’t immediately know what was wrong, but nearby Hartford Middle School special education teacher Mary Barkholz-Ingber had noticed him, too.
Mary was leaving work when she saw the man fall. She turned around and went back to check on him.
When she approached, the man raised his hand for help. Mary attempted to help him to his feet, but he was unable to stand on his own. She soon encountered another challenge, the man spoke Spanish, and she did not.
Romero and Robles saw Mary trying to help and decided to step in.
“We saw a teacher helping him and wanted to make sure everything was okay,” Robles said. “Once we realized he needed help, we knew we couldn’t just leave.”
The students began speaking with the man in Spanish, helping bridge the language barrier and allowing Mary to better understand what he was trying to communicate. Through their conversation, they were able to determine what they believed to be his home address.
The boys then helped the man to his feet. A man passing by on a bicycle also noticed what was happening and stopped to assist. Together, they worked to support the man before an ambulance was called so he could receive further assistance.
For Mary, what stood out was not simply that Romero and Robles stopped to help. It was how they treated someone they had never met.
“The boys came over in such a kind and gentle way,” Mary said. “They treated him with respect and dignity the entire time.”
For Romero, the afternoon presented a situation neither student could have anticipated. “It was something we didn’t expect happening, but at that moment we knew we had to step in and help out,” Romero said.
That kind of character can be difficult to measure in a classroom. It is a tremendous quality to recognize when someone needs help and choose to act with compassion, respect, and kindness.
We are proud of Juan, Josais, and Mary for representing Hartford Public Schools and the Hartford community with those qualities.
In recognition of their compassion, maturity, and willingness to step in when someone needed help Juan Romero and Josais Robles will be formally recognized by the Hartford Public Schools Board of Education at its meeting on Monday, September 14.
