Continued Reading: The Blair Hornstine Story

Blair Hornstine is currently studying law, and she is scheduled to receive her Juris Doctorate in May 2010. Ms. Hornstine’s family already enjoys a legal pedigree with Judge Louis Hornstine, Blair’s father, who is a Superior Court Judge. Blair Hornstine has always been interested in law; particularly in the way it helps the overlooked and poverty-stricken to maintain their individual rights.

Ms. Blair Hornstine is a firm believer in equality under the law. When Blair Hornstine earned the highest cumulative grade point average in the seventh semester of her senior year of her high school education, she never thought she would have to fight to earn what was rightfully hers: the honor of being named sole valedictorian. In the end, Ms. Blair Hornstine did have to fight, and the legal battle that resulted would teach her a great deal about the legal system and the importance of equality.
Blair Hornstine spent much of her high school career at home, taking private lessons, because she was not healthy enough to attend regular classes. Due to a rare chronic fatigue syndrome, Blair Hornstine often lacked the energy to participate in traditional schooling, but she did not let her medical condition get in the way of her dreams. Like her brother had in 1999, Blair Hornstine was named Moorestown High Valedictorian, and in 2003, she fulfilled her goal by asserting her legal rights as a special needs student.

Welcome to Blair Hornstine's Blog

In 1998, Blair Hornstine, an otherwise normal teenager, was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition that took away her energy and prevented her from attending high school. Ms. Hornstine was granted the privilege of receiving home school according to the strict rules and regulations of her high school, Moorestown High. A Special Education Team was assigned to provide her with the necessary tools she needed to succeed at home academically. Ms. Hornstine was able to attain extraordinarily high marks in all of her classes and was to receive the high honor of being valedictorian at her graduation in 2003.

Ms. Hornstine’s GPA was 4.6894-the highest GPA of her class of over 350 students-and as a result should have been the sole recipient of the valedictorian award. However, the school superintendent felt her fellow student should have been in the running for the award as well, due to his near-perfect GPA. Although his was lower than Ms. Hornstine’s, he felt he did not receive fair consideration due to the fact that he was required to take gym (a class that did not allow for extra grade points) and she was not.

Hornstine and her family filed a lawsuit against the Moorestown Board of Education and the superintendent. Eventually, the court ruled in favor of Blair, stating that her exceptional academic performance was not aided in any way by the opportunities she was allowed due to her condition. Ms. Hornstine was named valedictorian of Moorestown High in 2003.

After high school, Ms. Hornstine attended the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she attained a Master’s Degree in Classical Studies with distinction. She was accepted to Juilliard School where she pursued her dream of practicing singing and music from 2006 to 2007. She is currently studying to become a lawyer. Hornstine has also participated in many charitable causes, such as having founded MAGIC, an organization dedicated to helping elderly, underprivileged, and poor women.