Youth Sync

welcome to ... Youth Sync A regular section in the Northwest Observer focused on our local youth and the adults who positively impact them.

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We are OPEN and accepting new patients Sidd Viswanathan earns Eagle rank

OAK RIDGE – Sidd Viswanathan, a member of Scouts BSA Troop 600, recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Sidd is a junior at STEM Early College on the campus of NC A&T. Sidd Viswanathan For his Eagle project, Sidd led a renovation/beautification project at Triad Hindu Temple on Alcorn Road in Oak Ridge. There were two large bodies of dirt in the middle of the temple’s parking lot that had eroded and created pockets of mud. Sidd visually enhanced them and made them less susceptible to erosion by creating a perimeter around both islands using concrete wall bricks, then added mulch, topsoil and three varieties of plants inside the bodies of dirt.

Eighteen volunteers worked over 100 hours on planning and carrying out Sidd’s Eagle project, with donations coming from sponsors affiliated with Triad Hindu Temple.

Scouts BSA Troop 600 meets on Monday evenings at Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church. For more info, visit www.scoutdude.com.

Congratulations, NWMS Vikings!

Photo courtesy of Lifetouch/Info provided by Nikki Nitz The Northwest Guilford Middle School baseball team recently won the 2022 Conference Championship under fi rstyear coach Tyler Woodrow. The team, which had not been able to play the previous two years due to COVID, ended its season 12-0. Team members are (bottom row, L to R): Blake Abbott, Mason Skelding, Carter Marcum, Ryan Dell and Bryce Stovall; (middle row, L to R): Kaden Nitz, Nick Barnes, Nick Trogdon, Caleb Leimone, Robert Johnstone and Cooper Kidder; (top row, L to R): Holden Bullins, manager, Coach Tyler Woodrow, Drew Young, Noah Williams, Nick Turner, Preston McGirr and Ben Biggs. Not shown: Shaye Harrington and John Belcher.

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Youth Sync Northwest Guilford: Summa Cum Laude graduates

Of the 498 Class of 2022 graduates, the following 70 graduates had a weighted GPA of 4.5 or higher:

Nicholas Shaw Arthur Benjamin Avery Baker Abigail Clayre Barrow Mara Mackenzie Bell Sarah Elizabeth Boals Macy Ellen Bowles Luciana Caicedo-Dussan Sophia Adeline Carson Selby Isabella Chipman Georgia Elizabeth Copenhaver Annabelle Elyse Ning Craig Areen Sameer Dabadghav Leah Catherine Doyle Garret C. Eichlin (valedictorian) Riley Alexander Elliott Bianca De Catalina Gawka Joshua Bradley Goodwin Allison Grace Guild Kaitlyn Faith Guild Chloe Grey Haywood Meredith Riley Headen Tilde Victoria Hogberg Spencer Wyatt Houlden Ryan Huang Autumn Brianna Jackson Bella Rose Jansson Wei Jiang Andrew Scott Johnson Tyler Alan Katowitz James Dylan Kesselring Ashley Michelle Leonard Eleanor Bailey Long Alexis Grace Looney Gerald William Lovejoy Jorge Elias Millan Rodriguez Caden McDonough Miller Logan Patrick Monday Aidan Scott Myers Danika Ryan Nelson Milana Alexis Nostrand Stephanie Seyoung Oh Sofia Ortega-Urtecho Ava Jane Overmyer Isabelle Mae Parrett Benita Bhavesh Patel Brooke Noelle Lei Xiao Petroff Zachary Roman Prandota Ella Caroline Reitmeier Kimberly Elizabeth Riden Reid Victor Rouse (salutatorian) Rocio Gabriela Ruiz Valencia Morgan Elizabeth Rumple Jae Hwan Ryu Mary Carlisle Saums Malaika Siddique Logan Scott Sims Jonah Aaron Speight Elizabeth Ryan Tefft Charlie Rae Tesiero William James Thacker Olivia Anne Toland Grayson Lee Tyrey Elizaveta Denisovna Ushakova Ana Paula Valadez Puente Colin Michael Vess Emma Lauren White Seth Davis Wilder Bethany Avana Wilson Henry Victor Wuebker Aliha Younus

VALEDICTORIAN Garret Christopher Eichlin

Graduating with a 4.85 weighted GPA, Garret Eichlin thanked counselors, coaches, family, friends, classmates and staff for their impact during his four years at Northwest High School, and then began his valedictorian speech with a quote from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, excerpted from “The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes – “It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.”

Eichlin referenced the impact of COVID 19 on the last few years of high school and the many typical high school experiences he and his classmates had missed, while encouraging his classmates to remember the many little but positive things that also occurred during this time.

Embrace the opportunity to forge new relationships and incorporate out-of-the-box problem solving techniques, he told his classmates.

“See the future and remember those little things that were most important to us,” he said in closing.

Garrett will attend Boston College as a Gabelli Presidential Scholar (full-tuition scholarship) and will study biochemistry. SALUTATORIAN Reid Victor Rouse

Because of time limitations due to the size of Northwest’s Class of 2022, Reid Rouse, who graduated with a 4.83 weighted GPA, did not have the opportunity to deliver a salutatorian speech. A standout soccer player in high school, Reid will attend the University of Lynchburg and study Business Administration & Astronomy.

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Northern Guilford: Summa Cum Laude graduates

Of the 317 Class of 2022 graduates, the following 26 graduates had a weighted GPA of 4.5 or higher:

Amelia Mary Ames Annie Stewart Badger Matthew Nicholas Bucy Isabel McLean Clark Lauren Brooke Cline Molly Catherine Conway Abigail Bequia Czarnowski Sophia Ann Davis Katrina Elizabeth Ford Sarah Olivia Hernando Tyler Preston Lewis Abigail Lynn Mulry (valedictorian) Clay Christopher Parr (salutatorian) Mallory Sue Parr Christian Jason Patterson Emily Elizabeth Peeden Katie Paige Ratley Maura Quinn Schoppa Connerly Bishop Stone Nikolai Daniel Teague Campbell Reese Thompson Olivia Perron Tolbert Savannah Michelle Tuhro Rian Leyla Tuzcu Michael Sain Voight Elham Hussien Yimam

VALEDICTORIAN Abigail (Abby) Lynn Mulry

When introducing Abby Mulry, Northern Guilford and North Carolina Teacher of the Year Leah Carper told those present that life is full of uncertainties which require determination, a sense of adventure and resilience.

“Northern Guilford High School’s valedictorian, Abigail (Abby) Mulry, embraces these principles,” Carper said. “She has moved mountains in the classroom, on the basketball court, on the soccer field and everywhere in between.”

During her four years of high school Abby was named a National Merit finalist, was recognized as an academic all-conference player in both women’s varsity basketball (where she served as team captain) and soccer for the past three years, was captain of Northern High’s Science Olympiad team, president of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica Chapter, secretary of the National Honor Society, and has been a volunteer at

...continued on p. 42 SALUTATORIAN Clay Christopher Parr

With a weighted GPA of 4.7931, Clay Parr was dually enrolled at Northern Guilford and GTCC, where he completed 18 college-level classes. When introducing him, Principal Janiese McKenzie said he picked up his first book in finance at age 8 and was permanently hooked on stock market volatility and fundamental analysis.

“From there he opened a brokerage account and has been trading ever since,” McKenzie said.

During his time at Northern Guilford, Clay enjoyed debating in a mock United Nations meeting at UNCChapel Hill, serving as junior class president, serving as this year’s student body vice president and as a Nighthawk ambassador, being actively involved in the National Honor Society, Beta Club and National Spanish Honor Society, mentoring elementary students through the Reading Buddy program, playing lacrosse all four years of

...continued on p. 42