ONWARD and UPWARD Class of 2021 a tribute to high school seniors in northwest/northern Guilford County
WHAT’S INSIDE Meet Annie Badger, Northern student body president ...6 Meet Ashley Cox, NWHS student body president .............7 Meet Collin Register, Northern senior class president .....8 Meet Rycor Coon, NWHS senior class president ..............9 Northern valedictorian: Sophia Strugnell ........................10 NWHS valedictorian: Caroline Howard ............................ 11 Northern salutatorian: Aimee Pack ..................................12 NWHS salutatorian: Matthew Oh .......................................13 Senior Survey: COVID challenges, takeaways ...............14 Northwest Guilford: Photos from June 7 graduation .....18 Northwest Guilford graduate list .......................................19 Northern Guilford: Photos from June 7 graduation .......24 Northern Guilford graduate list .........................................26
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One of the obvious questions I they lost, they gained much. wanted to ask recent high school Over and over again they told us graduates was, “what were the bigthey had learned about resiliency. gest challenges of your senior year?” Accountability. Responsibility. Time Their answers were much what I management. The value of famexpected – time away from friends, ily and friends. Self-discipline. And no or very limited social activities, a greater comfort level with being topsy-turvy sports seasons, alone (although a little can uncertainty, the need to go a long way, especially develop self-motivation for teenagers). and self-discipline, and the To the Class of 2021, loss of so much anticipated I know this past year was excitement that normally unprecedented, and we comes with being a senior. are particularly proud of But what I also wanted your resilience and accepto know is if they had some tance of what couldn’t Patti Stokes positive takeaways from be controlled. You’re now publisher/editor this year, which was so very equipped with not only a different than what they envisioned high school education, but with life when they began high school four lessons that, should you embrace years ago. And you know what? them, will serve you well long into Based on their answers, for all that the future.
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Northern Guilford Student Body PRESIDENT
(L-R) Annie Badger, her mother, Jenny, and her younger brother, Henry. Badger said spending more quality time with family was an unexpected benefit of COVID.
NHS president wishes for ‘normal, mask-less’ school year After remote learning this past year, Annie Badger said she and her Northern Guilford High School classmates look forward to return of traditional activities
in person for the final weeks of the school year,” Badger said. “That’s a really good sign for the fall.” The 17-year-old from Summerfield served as Northern’s student body president as a junior. She’s serving in the same position as a senior, giving her back-to-back experience spanning the COVID-19 pandemic.
by CHRIS BURRITT NORTHERN GUILFORD – Annie Badger is hoping for “a normal, maskless senior year” starting in August for herself and her classmates at Northern Guilford High School.
“There isn’t a reason for us not to be in person, especially since we were
This past year, traditional activities such as Homecoming Week in the fall and prom in the spring gave way to activities such as a virtual Spirit Week. A canned food drive replaced the Powder Puff football game between juniors and seniors. In the coming school year, Badger
Congratulations Class of 2021 Share your SMILE wherever you are, and wherever you go, go with all your heart.
hopes to make up for some of the past year’s losses. As an example, she’s proposing dress-up theme days each Friday during the football season, versus limiting the activity to Spirit Week. She figures that just as students adapted to COVID-19’s restrictions, they can be equally creative now that the pandemic is fading. The outbreak “showed our resilience,” Badger said in a recent interview. “We stayed together as Northern Guilford High School and showed that we can do things no matter the circumstances. We’ve all grown so much from it.” Badger and her younger brother, Henry, studied remotely from home most of the school year. Their mother, Jenny, worked from home, straining the family’s internet connection until they installed a Wi-Fi booster. The technical inconvenience was small compared to one of the unexpected benefits of cocooning at home, according to Badger.
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“The biggest benefit for me was spending quality time with my family,” she said. “We usually don’t get to do that because our lives are so busy. We had family dinners and watched TV together. I really appreciated that about COVID.”
ONWARD and UPWARD
Even so, Badger said she welcomed the return to in-person classes late in the school year.
“I’m a very social person,” she said. “It was really good to see people I hadn’t seen since the beginning of COVID.” Badger said in-person classroom instruction helped her focus in advance of exams. “Paying attention was 110 percent better in person,” she said. “At home, it was so easy to go on your phone or watch the lawn mower guy mowing the yard,” she said. “You don’t have those little distractions at school.” Remote learning forced students and their families to “learn a whole new sphere of things” about technology, Badger said. Jokingly, she worried that the new knowledge will come back to haunt students next year when snowy, icy weather would typically cancel classes. “I’m afraid we’ll never have snow days again,” she said. “They’re going to say, ‘it’s a virtual learning day.’ There needs to be a rule where they give us the day off.”
NWHS Student Body PRESIDENT
NWHS president ‘enjoyed the time we had together’ Ashley Cox said the pandemic taught her to plan for the unexpected and cherish the limited opportunities students were able to get together by CHRIS BURRITT NW GUILFORD – As president of the student body, Ashley Cox had looked forward to speaking at Northwest Guilford High School’s graduation ceremony.
But like so many traditions derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony at the Greensboro Coliseum’s Special Events Center required that limitations be placed on the number of people on stage. Cox wasn’t one of them. “I was a little disappointed,” the 17-year-old from Stokesdale said. Nonetheless, if the past year taught her anything, it was to cherish the times she and her classmates could get together as a group. The picnic for seniors and graduation ceremony June 7 was the last time.
“Even though the circumstances were hard, we enjoyed the time we had together – even if it was just online,” Cox said in a recent interview. Students attended classes remotely from home until late in the school year, and the homecoming dance last fall and the prom this spring were cancelled. As a result, Cox said she and other student leaders “came up with creative ideas” for ways students could connect. Football season was delayed until the spring semester and students participated in Spirit Week activities online. As an example, students submitted photos of themselves dressed in their favorite college attire. Posted on Instagram, the photos were entered for a chance to win gift cards, Cox said. NWHS leaders organized two work days, one in the fall and one in the spring, which gave students a chance to get together to paint and spruce up the campus.
“It was hard, but we were still able to get things done,” Cox said.
Over the past year, Cox said she’s relied on Zoom for school meetings and Facetime for playing games with classmates. In recent months, the eased restrictions have allowed students to gather more for social activities, partly making up for the cancelation of the prom, she said. Cox ran on NWHS’ cross-country team, giving her another opportunity to socialize with classmates. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the number of runners allowed to complete in meets was limited, but all
Courtesy photo
Ashley Cox proudly poses with her diploma and a certificate of appreciation for her service as student body ... continued on p. 29 president after finishing a challenging senior year.
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Northern Guilford SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENT
Lessons learned For Northern Guilford High School’s senior class president, studying remotely was boring, but taught him independence and discipline for college by CHRIS BURRITT NW GREENSBORO – As president of Northern Guilford High School’s senior class, Collin Register never figured to spend most of his final year at home, studying remotely and snacking on pretzels to blunt the boredom.
“It was definitely rough,” the 18-year-old said in a recent interview.
“I didn’t want to do online school anymore. I needed to see my friends again.”
Photo courtesy of Collin Register
This summer, Register is working at a community pool and taking two vacations with his family before departing for UNC-Chapel Hill in August.
Northern Guilford High School senior class president Collin Register (left) stands with his sister, Claire, after the school’s graduation ceremony earlier this month. Collin is headed to UNC-Chapel Hill; Claire is a rising senior at N.C. State University.
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic has waned, the university conducted orientation for freshmen remotely earlier this month. Register said he’s been assigned a dorm and a roommate, and he’s taking with him some lessons he learned over the past year. Being isolated at home, he said, taught him independence and discipline that he believes will help him in college. “I think I learned a lot about time
management and being able to get school work out of the way,” he said. “Then I’d have the rest of the day to enjoy myself with family and friends. It was good preparation for me.”
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But it wasn’t how Register and other seniors had hoped to spend their final year, deprived of homecoming, fall football games and other traditions as the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered schools for most of the academic year and limited public gatherings after classes resumed.
When in-person instruction resumed in February, Register was eager to return to the classroom, even though his drive to Northern Guilford High School was no longer convenient. His family had moved from Summerfield to Gibsonville in eastern Guilford County, nearly half an hour away from the school.
“It’s been quite a ride,” Register said. “There was a lot of not knowing what was going to happen. I was always at home, sitting. I would eat snacks all day.” Early in the school year, Register helped organize two activities – the painting of the big rock in front of the high school and the painting of signs for
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Otherwise, opportunities to organize student events were limited by the pandemic, he said.
“The drive was worth it,” Register said. As much as he had missed his friends, he also realized his education had suffered.
“I learned better just being able to collaborate with the people around me,” he said. “It was much more interactive.”
NWHS Senior Class PRESIDENT
A fist-bumping farewell At NWHS’ graduation ceremony, senior class president sits at the end of the row so he can bump fists with classmates passing by after receiving their diplomas by CHRIS BURRITT NW GREENSBORO – In a few weeks, Northwest Guilford High School senior class president Rycor Coon is headed to Provo, Utah, to start his freshman year at Brigham Young University. A year from now, he will be preparing to embark on a Mormon missionary trip somewhere in the world, though he’s
not sure where. So to make sure he bid farewell to his classmates, Coon secured an end seat during NWHS’ graduation ceremony. He bumped fists with them as they passed with their diplomas.
Photo courtesy of Rycor Coon
“This summer, I want to NWHS senior class president Rycor Coon make sure I spend time with (left) and classmate Hana Ishige celebrate my friends,” Coon said in a after their graduation ceremony. recent interview. “I’m going to be pretty far away. I know I won’t be ing remotely, walking around his house able to see them much after that.” listening to class on wireless headphones. Coon has lived all of his 18 years in Oak Ridge, attending kindergarten at Oak Ridge Elementary before going to Northwest Guilford middle and high schools. He had never imagined spending most of his senior year study-
“With everything changing so much, I learned to expect everything and nothing at the same time,” Coon said. The COVID-19 pandemic “created some bad situations, but it helped
us to grow and improve so much.” Near the end of the school year students, with the help of parents, planned private parties to replace prom, one of numerous senior traditions derailed by the pandemic. “Students came together and said ‘we can have our own prom,’” he said. “We had the willingness to do things for ourselves.” Last week Coon was among the first to receive his diploma during the graduation ceremony at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center. When he returned to his seat, he convinced his friend, Cameron Copenhaver, to switch seats with him. That put Coon right next to the aisle. “I knew that if I were on the outside, every student would walk past me and I could give them all fist bumps,” he said. Coon had been eager to return to the classroom in March.
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Congratulations to the Class of 2021! Job well done! ONWARD and UPWARD
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Northern Guilford VALEDICTORIAN
Sophia Strugnell by PATTI STOKES Sophia Strugnell applied the same discipline and commitment to her high school coursework as she has to excelling at tennis – and it Sophia Strugnell paid off. She graduated June 7 at the academic top of her class, with a GPA (grade-point average) of 4.76, and will play tennis at the collegiate level this fall. In a recent interview, Strugnell said being class valedictorian was never a goal of hers, but “it just kind of happened” because she wanted to take the highest-level classes she could in high school and do the best she could. “My main motivator was, if I could do something more challenging, I didn’t want to shy away from it,” she said. As a competitive tennis player with the USTA (U.S. Tennis Association), Strugnell said she missed a lot of school to travel to tournaments. “I’m pretty sure that in my freshman and sophomore years I had a total of 30 absences,” she said. “That
taught me a lot about time management… most of the tennis players I compete with do school totally online (even before COVID), because the schedule can be hard to manage. We practice four hours a day, so it just gets to be a lot.” Mindset is as important to succeeding in school as it is in tennis, Strugnell observed.
“Once you get to a certain level, the difference between the person who beats you and the person you beat oftentimes is more mental than anything else – it’s about your mindset, how dedicated you are, and how much you really want it. I think that definitely carried over to school. “Probably my competitive side did, too,” she added with a laugh. Tennis has been part of her life since early childhood, but she said it became more of “her sport” around seventh grade.
Her dad also enjoys tennis and encouraged her to work at it. For the last few years, she’s been playing year-round and frequently travels for tournaments. This August she’ll play in San Diego in the biggest tournament of the year.
“For my age group, if you win the tournament, you get a wild card into the U.S. Open. So, this is a pretty big deal,” she said. Last year, when she was traveling far from home and being scouted by college coaches, she felt the pressure and said she started breaking out in hives before matches. “But I’ve definitely gotten over that,” she said. “I think having the balance of knowing that all my eggs are not just in tennis really helped. When success in one place in your life becomes everything, it’s hard to handle failure.” The mental aspect of tennis can both create pressure and be appealing at the same time, she said. “You are out there all alone and you’re the only one to take responsibility for what happens,” she notes. “The other thing about tennis that’s a huge part of the game is that there is no time limit – so, no matter how far down you are, you can always come back – or no matter how far up you are, you can always lose.” The longest match she’s ever played lasted well over three hours.
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“That was in May, it was hot, and it seemed to last forever. I was just like, ‘oh my gosh, I really just left everything on the court,’” she said. Strugnell credits her mother, who she said had many interests growing up, though none were sports-related, with being a “huge supporter.”
ONWARD and UPWARD
“When I started playing tennis, she never said, ‘This is too much.’ She was always like, ‘OK, we’re going to do as much as we can,’ and that definitely carried over to school,” Strugnell said. “She didn’t let me forget about school. I knew I had to get things done because I had no choice.” To allow her to leave school early for tennis practice, Strugnell took a few classes each year online. So, when classes changed last spring to being 100% online, she said it wasn’t as much of a shock for her as it was for some students.
“I will say, though, there was a time last year I was struggling on the courts, because I didn’t have that other outlet (attending school in-person) or that change of scenery. I realized then how important it was to have a balance,” she said. It was the social part of school that she missed the most, she said – and seeing people smile in the grocery store, or giving someone a hug when she said goodbye. While she is strong in math, Strugnell said she’s interested in many topics. “I took AP Art History and really enjoyed that, which makes me really excited to think about living in New York City (she’ll be attending Columbia University this fall).” She’s not sure what she’ll major in, but says she’s leaning toward economics. “But I also know a lot can change, so to say I know exactly what I want to do is probably a little naive.”
Northwest Guilford VALEDICTORIAN
Caroline Howard by PATTI STOKES In her graduation speech, Northwest High School valedictorian Caroline Howard spoke of how she and her classmates adapted to Caroline Howard unpredictable circumstances spawned by the pandemic. By working together to get through a year of high school that looked very different from the one they envisioned as freshmen, she said the Class of 2021 came out of it with resilience, strength and the ability to change perspectives to make the best of situations.
Graduating at the academic top of her class of 482 members, with a 4.81 GPA (grade-point average), Howard credits her parents for always emphasizing the importance of working hard, but also taking classes she enjoyed while challenging herself. “I’ve definitely tried to do that in high school, where I’ve had a lot more flexibility in choosing my classes, but even in earlier grades I was very passionate about learning and reading to soak up as much material as possible in all different types of subjects,” Howard said in a recent interview. She admitted to probably caring “a little too much” about her grades in her earlier years of high school, before recognizing that “grades aren’t everything, and class rank isn’t everything.”
Make no mistake, though, her discipline and commitment to her coursework were reflected in her academic success. While she pushed herself to work hard, she also said she had a lot of fun, enjoys learning, and has had good friends and family to support her along the way Of being class valedictorian, Howard said it wasn’t a goal of hers when entering high school – but it was definitely a nice bonus.
“I wanted to work hard and being near the top of my class was perhaps a goal, but not necessarily No. 1,” she said. “There are a lot of very hard-working, smart people in my grade who are also very deserving.” Besides focusing on academics, Howard said she participated in a
lot of extracurricular activities in high school, including volunteering with Kids First, a mentoring program in which she tutored elementary-age children from a nearby school. “A lot are from low-income families and speak Spanish as a first language,” she said. “That’s been very rewarding to see their growth and has taught me about what I want to do in my life in terms of addressing social inequities and trying to work with kids as well, hopefully in the medical field.” Soccer has been a part of Howard’s life since she started playing in second grade, and she played on Northwest’s girls soccer team. “I love my soccer community,” she said. “On a soccer team, you all win together and lose together, so that’s been very rewarding in terms of building a friend group and also learning about teamwork and connecting.” In her downtime, Howard enjoys
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Northern Guilford SALUTATORIAN
Aimee Pack by PATTI STOKES Throughout high school, Aimee Pack said she wasn’t too focused on her GPA or class rank. “When I got to high school and found out I could take AP classes and get college credit I was like, ‘Okay, I definitely want to take as many as posAimee Pack sible…’ I was just ready for the challenge of taking harder classes,” Pack said in a recent interview. In fact, Pack took so many Advanced Placement (college-level) courses that she graduated with two years’ worth of college credits and academically ranked second in her class. She said she had her most rigorous course load and some of her most challenging classes in her junior year. She credits three teachers especially – Mrs. Myers (AP Calculus), Dr. Strubringer (AP Chemistry) and Dr. Branyon (AP English) – for making those classes “very interesting and easy.” She also credits her guidance counselor, Mrs. Deaton, for “helping me throughout high school.” For Pack, the hardest part about COVID was being “stuck at home all day.” “I would get my work done, close my computer and feel like, ‘Ugh, I didn’t even leave home all day or interact with others,’” she said. When she had the option of returning to the classroom for in-person instruction in early March,
Pack said she tried it for a few weeks but ended up going back home, where she felt more productive – and, the puppy her family had gotten during quarantine was a great companion. A lot of her friends didn’t return to the classroom either.
“It was a little sad, because what I had known school to be, it wasn’t like that at all,” she said. As a freshman, she said she had looked up to the seniors and couldn’t wait to be one herself – “but no one was looking up to us this year because we weren’t even there. I tried to make the most of it, but there were also times when I would get sad.” One of those times was during volleyball season. “It was supposed to be such a great season, but we had very few spectators,” said Pack, who was varsity captain of her volleyball team in her junior and senior years. “It was just hard because we didn’t have many fans, and I could only have two family members come to the games.” Still, earning varsity MVP this year was a bright spot, and she treasures the fun she had playing the sport as well as the friendships with her teammates. Pack was a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club, and Spanish Honor Society. In previous years she also enjoyed volunteering with elementary students through the Reading Buddies program, but COVID prevented that this year.
Of the lessons she learned from the challenges surrounding COVID, Pack said, “There were times this year when I thought, ‘This stinks,’ – but that was one of the lessons of all this, to grind through things in the face of adversity. And, when you don’t see your friends or close family members for a while, it makes you value them more.” This summer she’s helping care for her 10-yearold brother while preparing to head to UNC-Chapel Hill in August. She has a family full of basketball lovers, and she’s looking forward to attending basketball games and other college sporting events. She hasn’t decided yet what career she’ll pursue, but she’s sure it will be something in the science and/ or medical field. Pack didn’t get to address her classmates at the graduation ceremony as salutatorians traditionally do, but if she had, here’s something she would have said: “Thank you all for making the last four years unforgettable. The friendships and memories that we formed will last a lifetime. We endured great adversity this past year, but it prepared us all for what lies ahead. I am extremely excited to see the accomplishments our group of students achieves in the upcoming years. For the opportunity to be a part of our amazing Nighthawk community, I am incredibly grateful.”
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Northwest Guilford SALUTATORIAN
Matthew Oh by PATTI STOKES Matthew Oh got many of his required classes out of the way in his first two years of high school, then focused on taking AP classes; most were in math and science, which is where he excels. “I felt I had a good handle on those just from the class Matthew Oh lectures and discussion, so I didn’t have to spend too much time studying for them outside of class,” he said in a recent interview. AP World History was a bit different, he said, probably for two reasons – it required a lot of memorizing, and test questions were essay-based, so not as clear-cut as with his science and math exams. Still, Oh managed just fine and graduated as class salutatorian with a 4.81 GPA (grade-point aver-
age), only .01 grade point behind the class valedictorian.
Graduating at the top of his class crossed his mind in his first few years of high school, but Oh said as time went by he realized this: “If you focus too much on your placement in the class, it’s a pretty bad influence on your experience, so I just focused on being happy and getting into a good college as my main goal instead of being at the top of the class.” He participated in several high school clubs, including Science Olympiad, Environmental Club, Math Club – and Speech and Debate Team. He said he took Speech and Debate in his sophomore year
because during middle school he had been very shy about public speaking and he wanted to improve in that area. And it worked. “I really fell in love with the (Speech and Debate) community and club activities, and will definitely miss that,” he said. Of some of the teachers Oh most enjoyed learning from, his 10th grade English teacher, Sarah Hutchinson, stands out. “It (Hutchinson’s class) was a very open and welcoming community and we had a lot of discussions. I think that’s the only class I’ve ever felt where whatever you said would be acceptable… I kind of played devil’s advocate a lot in our discussions,” Oh said. “No matter how radical the ideas I threw out in that class, Ms. Hutchinson would take it in stride and it was a very good experience.”
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Central Baptist Church
Congratulates our 2021 Graduates on a Job Well Done
Faith Anderson Gospel Light Christian School UNC-Chapel Hill
Hunter Crump Soaring Heights Academy Guilford Technical Community College
Brody Hilton Northwest Guilford High School East Carolina University
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Congrats,
Academy Kenneth Gay, III NC Central,Weaver Fall 2021, Jazz Studies
Congratulations, son! What an amazing 17 years it has been and how quickly they have passed! We’ve seen you grow over the years into a kind and talented young man. We knew from the beginning that God laid His hands on you and never let go. It is our sincere hope that you will stay connected to the source of your strength, you will seize each day, and will always savor the journey. Never forget where you came from or those who loved and helped you along the way. Work hard, stay humble, and your gift will make room for you. May God bless you with many years to come, filled with peace, joy, love, health, and success! Love, Mom & Dad
COVID challenges and takeaways compiled by ANNETTE JOYCE and PATTI STOKES The Class of 2021 endured a high school year unlike any other. For months, they had to deal with the ups and downs of virtual learning. Extracurricular activities were cancelled, postponed or held with restrictions. Football, wrestling and other sports were played much later in the year and many sports seasons were cut short and played with a limited number of fans. A few months before the school year ended, students were given the option of returning to the classroom on a limited basis. Some chose to finish their classes online while others were excited to get back to in-person instruction, if only for a short time. We asked Northwest and Northern Guilford graduates to share some of their biggest challenges and takeaways from their senior year, and here’s what they had to say...
CELEBRATES THE
CLASS OF 2021! LIF
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E SAFETY
“The most difficult part of my senior year was not having face-to-face interaction with teachers and fellow students. I missed the conversations, laughter, and being able to say goodbye to all the teachers, guidance counselor, and friends who supported me throughout high school. “(During the past year) I learned of the resilience of the NWHS community. As students, we adjusted to virtual learning, sports with face masks, and fundraising while being socially distanced. Our teachers were supportive and persevered in spite of Microsoft Teams and internet connectivity issues, and the PTSO managed to still hold activities throughout the year to make the seniors feel special. “The biggest highlight (of this year) was being able to play field hockey
ONWARD and UPWARD
for NWHS. Being with my friends and playing games was the first time in a while that things felt normal.” Sydney Grigg, NWHS “The hardest part of this last year of school was not attending class in person, and not having anyone to hold me accountable for my work. The one thing I did learn was to hold myself accountable.” Lucie Zerfoss, Northern Guilford “The biggest struggle this last year was COVID-19, and contracting the virus. It really was a struggle, and I’ve had breathing problems ever since. It also threw me off mentally – but I’m getting better, and I’m graduating!” Jonah Yonaitis, Northern Guilford “The most difficult part of my senior year was trying to stay fully engaged in class. Basically, during class I was working my detailing business, The Polishing Crew. I would put in my AirPods, just listen, and then did my school work when I went home. “I learned from this past year not to rush to be an adult. Working all my years of high school, I realized that the people around you are only there for a limited time. “My biggest highlight of senior year was hanging with ‘my boys,’ who I’m proud to say are my best friends and will be my roommates at UNCCharlotte. We always have a good time and have done plenty of crazy things and I’m excited to continue the tradition.” Parker Hopkins, NWHS “Not going to school in person was definitely hard. Some people (like me) are more hands-on learners, and having to adjust and work on my own
schedule from home was different for me. I didn’t have the teachers there to push me and motivate me, so some days I wouldn’t be motivated – but, I pulled through in the end and it taught me how to have more selfmanagement and know I can do it if I tell myself I can.” Jamarius Johnson, Northern Guilford “The biggest challenge for me was learning to be by myself and without social activities. The biggest takeaway was learning how to be comfortable by myself – and develop better study habits!” Alexis Ricketts, Northern Guilford “I think the most difficult thing was the virtual Zoom classes. It was really hard to stay focused and pay attention. You’re at home and have so many distractions and there’s so much other stuff you can do. “I learned the end of high school
is a bittersweet time. I learned a lot about growing up and moving into the next chapter of my life. “My biggest highlight was definitely when I got accepted into (UNC) Wilmington. “My biggest disappointment for the year was not being able to feel like a senior – not being among the oldest (on campus). That’s something you look forward to and I didn’t get to have that experience.” Alexandra Ruch, NWHS “The most difficult part was finding all of the different links and assignments to all kinds of websites, while managing to work two jobs and play football during the spring COVID-altered season. “During this past year, I learned to pray for blessings and safety for my family and friends as well as good times through the hardships of my senior year. “The biggest highlight was getting
a lot closer to a lot of my friends even while we were away from school.” Cam Carter, NWHS
accountable a little better. “It was a dull year, but I think the biggest highlight was just graduating. My biggest disappointment was not knowing at the end of my junior year, when we walked out of school on Friday the 13th (March 2020), that was the last time I’d ever see a lot of people from school.” Will Gilbert, NWHS
“Staying focused was definitely the hardest part of this past school year, especially after switching from an in-person environment where we were used to more hands-on learning to sitting at a computer in a remote learning environment. The thing I learned from it is, life isn’t about someone sitting there and cheering you on all the way – you’ve got to be able to do things yourself. There are hard times, but you have to find the willpower to get through them.” Devon Richardson, Northern Guilford
“The most difficult part of this year to me was probably paying attention in class. It was really difficult to stay focused when I was in my own home. I also missed the social interaction that came with being in class. “I learned some better self-discipline this year – I had to have that to make sure I never slacked off.
“Honestly, the most difficult thing was being isolated from everyone in school, especially during my senior year.
“My biggest highlight was probably getting vaccinated and getting to graduate in person. That was impor-
“I think being online all year taught me how to keep a schedule and stay on track. I learned how to hold myself
... continued on p. 30
CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2021 We wish you great adventures, endless laughs, sweet discoveries and
no flat tires
Choose your nearest location, and stop in today to experience the Tire Max difference!
as you enter a new chapter in life. And, THANK YOU to the parents, school staff and community for guiding these seniors through a challenging two years
Stokesdale
Located at Kings Crossing
7705 Highway 68 N (336) 642-3580
Madison
706 Burton Street (336) 642-3460
ONWARD and UPWARD
Summerfield
4420 US Highway 220N (336) 810-8250
High Point
619 Greensboro Road (336) 827-9112
High Point
2410 Eastchester Dr (336) 842-0212
JUNE 2021
15
Graduates of Oak R
We love and ce
Katherine Brown
Ashley Cox
Melina Erhartic
The Early College of Guilford Daughter of Sigrid and Michael Brown, Katherine will be attending UNC-Chapel Hill.
Northwest Guilford High Daughter of Tommy and Cotina Cox, Ashley will be attending Campbell University to study pharmacy.
Caldwell Academy Daughter of Tom and Julie Odendaal, Melina is weighing several possible undergraduate opportunities.
Garrett Stefanick
Corey Strader
Brady Thomas
Northern Guilford High Son of Frank and Linda Stefanick, Garrett has an apprenticeship with Brady HVAC through Guilford Apprentice Program and Guilford Tech.
Bethany Community School Son of Tyler and Amanda Strader, Corey is attending Rockingham Community College on his way to a degree at UNC-Greensboro.
Northern Guilford High Son of Chad and Jill Thomas, Brady will be attending Appalachian State University to study finance.
Ridge UMC Families
elebrate you!
Katie Keller
Tyler Kibble
Caitlin Pritchett
Northwest Guilford High Daughter of Adrian and Rachel Keller, Katie will be attending North Greenville University to study biology and play lacrosse.
Northwest Guilford High Son of Matt and Michelle Kibble, Tyler will be attending North Carolina State University.
Northwest Guilford High Daughter of Jeff and Amy Pritchett, Caitlin will be attending Rockingham Community College to study nursing.
Madeline Waterfield
Lillian Wiener
Northwest Guilford High Daughter of Mark and Beth Waterfield, Madeline will be attending Duke University.
Northwest Guilford High Daughter of Andrew and Sally Wiener, Lillian will be attending Appalachian State University.
oakridgeumc.org/youth
Northwest Guilford High School
Photos by Patti Stokes/NWO
Class of 2021
Northwest Guilford High School graduated 482 seniors on June 7 at the Greensboro Coliseum’s Special Events Center. The graduates will represent Northwest and Guilford County Schools at more than 75 college campuses, four branches of the military and in our local community in a variety of professions. Together, the class accrued 43,000 service-learning hours and was awarded $9.7 million in scholarships. The class average GPA (grade-point average) is 3.7; about a third of the graduates carried a cumulative GPA of 4.0 or above.
See more photos on Facebook.com/NorthwestObserver
Northwest Guilford SENIORS Students whose names are highlighted in yellow graduated with a weighted GPA (grade-point average) of 4.5 or higher, based on the most current grades. Niha Bhandari
A Caitlin Ahern
Luke Bissell
Areej Alathab Alissa
Ansley Blanchard
Saja Alathab Alissa
Zachary Bobe
Michael Alatriste-Rodriguez
Cameron Boothby
Stephanie Alcazar
Quincey Boulware
Andreea Alecse
Scarlet Bouthiette
Akia Ali
Madison Boykin
Knox Allen
Noah Brabble
Christopher Annunziato
Nicholas Brace
Alexis Atkins
Owen Bradford
Hallie Atkins
Caden Brady
John Atkins
Harper Brady
William Atkins
Carson Branz
Kaylen Ayres
Lexi Bravo Kylee Bray
B Daniel Bailey
Vincent Briganti
Oash Baniya Kshetri
Owen Briley
Kaylah Barrios
Aaliyah Brown
Bailey Barrow
James Brown
Daniel Baynes
Kimberly Brown
William Baysinger
Casey Bruton
Savannah Beal
Ashleigh Buck
Jonathan Bean
Vanessa Buck
Genesis Beck
Jessica Burger
Jack Beckett
Sarah Butler
Sheridan Been
C
Jose Benavides
Vincent Cagno
Abigail Bendel
Elizabeth Cake
Celia Bennett
Camden Caldwell
Jordan Bennett
Matthew Caldwell
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JUNE 2021
Liliana Canozo
D
Brianna Cardwell
Rodrigo DaCosta
Cameron Carter
Ethan Dales
Carson Cassetty
M’Kenzie Davis
Braden Champion
Tara Davis
Briana Chatman
Hegin Dawes
Charlie Chen
Trinity De Risio
Kelsey Cheney
Ramon DeAbreu
Seeva Cherukuri
Evyn Dean
Cameron Chilton
Dacy Denton
Hyeone Choi
Sach Denuwara
Rutvik Choksi
Gabrielle Devaughn
Matthew Cinao
Daniel Dickerson
Rachel Clanton
Pierce Dolan
Isabella Clark
Avery Dole
Scott Clark
Caleb Draime
Matthew Clevenger
Zane Ducat
Jackson Clifton
Ryan Dudzinski
Tanner Clodfelter
Aubreigh Duits
Jesi Coffer
Mckenzie Durant
Benton Coggin
Caroline Durham
Gavin Colby
Ethan Durham
Clayton Cole
E
Noah Collins
Kailee Edens
Kacey Combs
Uduzei Edgal
Trace Cook
Barry Edwards
Rycor Coon
Elaina Edwards
Cameron Copenhaver
Evan Edwards
Morgan Cordts
Noah Edwards
Ryan Cost
Riley Edwards
Ashley Cox
Kyle Eiben
Sydney Craft William Craig Peyton Crane Alysse Cruz Isabella Cruz Ethan Cuddeback
ONWARD and UPWARD
Colton Ellenburg Gavin Ellison Malak El-Shabasy Abigail Englishman Riley Erdner Enes Eroglu Emma Evans
Amelia Haman
Shahryar Humayun
Karter Kennedy
John Felder
Kyle Hamby
Alissa Humphrey
Kamell Kersey
Rylan Fetters
Ruben Hamby
Evan Fitzsimmons
Amelia Hammond
Aamish Irfan
Shaan Khanna
Katharine Fleming
Grace Hammond
Haley Irwin
Charles Kibble
Ethan Fleming-Pitts
Matthew Hampton
Hana Ishige
Jimin Kim
Jazmin Flores-Sanchez
Skylar Handley
Viktoriya Ivanets
Minseok Kim
Mason Fuller
Ethan Handschuh
Adam Ivey
Destiny King
William Fullwood
Marcus Harnarain
F
I
J
Olivia Key
Elijah King
Casey Harrington
Hudson James
Victor Klawitter
Daniela Galvan
Catherine Harris
April Jang
Brandon Knight
James Gentry
Dakota Hash
Kayla Johnson
Esther Koroma
Ailis Geoghegan
Cameron Hawks
DeWayne Johnson
Chasten Kota
Elizabeth George
Cranford Hedrick
Kristopher Johnson
Alyssa Kropski
Nicholas Gervasi
Davis Heinz
Logan Johnson
Alexander Kufel
William Gilbert
Matthew Heras
Brett Johnston
Claire Kusse
Hannah Gillespie
Bobbie Herbin
Lauren Jones
Kim Gjovik
Peyton Herring
James Joplin
Bonnie LaChiusa
James Glover
Kirstin Hill
Najalia Jourdain
Sophia Ladetto
Kyle Godfrey
Avery Hiller
Isabella Joyner
Ashley Larimore
Samuel Godfrey
Brody Hilton
John Jureit
Blake Lawson
Shayna Godino
Mallory Hinkle
Paul Jureit
Savannah Lawson
Rachel Goldin
Joseph Hirvonen
Shyenne Grady
Thomas Hoffman
Gavyn Kanipe
Sofia Lehmann
Jordan Graham
Conor Hogan
Jacob Kawalec
Claire Liberatore
Ezekiel Gravley
Caroline Holbrook
Hailey Keller
Evan Lichtenstein
Daniel Green
Zoe Holbrook
Katie Keller
Josiah Licorish
Aniston Greene
Andrew Holland
Maya Keller
Anjali Greene
Sarah Hollowell
Sydney Gregory
Parker Hopkins
Sydney Grigg
Brian Hornfeldt
Esteban Grijalva
Brandon Houghtby
Caroline Grunewald
Caroline Howard
McKenna Gullickson
Jason Huang
G
H
K
L
Austin Leake
... more NWHS seniors on next page
Congrats,
Joshua Hudson
Margaret Haile
Camden Huffman
Alexander Hall
Jacob Hughes
James Hall
Noah Hulse
ONWARD and UPWARD
Avery Dole
Northwest Guilford High School Attending Canisius College, Fall 2021
Avery, you make us so proud! Congrats on your graduation and your commitment to play volleyball at Canisius College! Through all of your hard work and dedication, your dreams of playing volleyball in college are paying off. You are going to experience so much over the next four years, and although it may not always be easy, your family will be here to support you every step of the way. We love you! Dad, Mom and Brady
JUNE 2021
21
Jaewon Lim
Jeffery Mitchell
Richard Loftis
Kaley Mitchell
Luke Pagonis
Sawyer Rhoney
Tyler Lovin
Emma Moberg
Nakayla Palmer
Rhita Rich
Shaun Lowry
Luke Montgomery
Bryan Park
Gabriel Richards
Grace Ludeman
Jenna Moore
Krishan Patel
Shaena Riddles
Katya Luna
Logan Moore
Om Patel
Morgan Robertson
Anthony Lyons
Macey Moore
Kamryn Pegram
Jordan Robinson
Evan Lyons
Paige Moore
Thomas Pegram
Arly Rodriguez
Edward Pena
Vicenzo Roling-Stella
Julie Pequigney
Addison Rolls
Jacob C Perry
Alexandra Ruch
Jacob P Perry
Austin Russell
P
Rachel Morgan
M Hailey Mabe
Katherine Morris
Marisa Macherosky
Ashton Mosbacher
Cole Madden
Aidan Murray
Madeline Mai
Jadyn Murray
Ryan Malmfelt
N
Austin Manzi
Shaunak Nag
John Marcotte
Grant Naylor
Angelyn Marti
Trevor Nefe
Adelaide Martin
Julia Nelson
Riley McCall
Samuel Nelson
Joshua McClellan
Nicholas Nestor
Madison McDonald
Julia Neumann
Ysantis McKenzie
Paul Newnam
Isis McLachlan
Lilian Nguyen
Corinth McMillan
Johnathan Nix
Diavanni McNeill
Zoey Norris
Liam McWhorter
Sai Nunduri
Jihane Mellouk
Ella Peters
O
Kyle Reiber
S
Jared Petrosky
Emily Saliga
Seth Pickford
Micah Salmon
Tanner Pierce
Myrrhan Sanchez
Sadie Plummer
Daniel Sanchez Berrios
Sophie Plummer
Nicholas Sanfilippo
Carley Pope
Devin Sanguinett
Cassidy Pothast
Alanna Saunders
Madison Prendergast
Sarah Scheponik
Riley Pritchard
Tyler Schmid
Caitlin Pritchett
William Schriever-Rankin
Sydney Proctor
Samuel Schwinn
Michael Pruden
Alyssa Seganish
Will Pruden
Madeline Seganish
Panisara Purcell
Erin Sescourka
Miranda Purgason
Rahim Shaar
Evan Purnell
Marguerite Shue
Jensen Melton
Camden Oates
Reagan Melton
John Obregon
Evan Mendyk
Reese O’Brien
Abdullah Rabbani
Miles Simmons
Quinn Migliaccio
Matthew Oh
Stuti Ramana
Bryanna Simons
Ian Mihailuk
Nakyung Oh
Benjamin Ramsey
Mason Sizemore
Mackenzie Milani-Kaufman
Evan Oliver
Kalina Rashkov
Aria Skovgard
Audrey Milks
Agustin Orozco Saldarriaga
Tanner Ratliff
Skylar Skryzmoski
Brandon Miller
Amar Osman
Lauren Reaves
Cooper Smith
David Miller
William Ostrom
Marquis Reed
James Smith
Annabelle Mills
Ainsley Owen
Westin Reeder
Olivia Smith
22
JUNE 2021
R
ONWARD and UPWARD
Kylie Siler
William Smith
T
Piper Voakes
Winter Whitley
Nicholas Volinski
Zoe Wieczorkowski
Abite Somers
Zihan Tang
Alfredo Sosa
Grace Thacker
Kayla Sosa-Bojorquez
Elle Thigpen
Philip Ward
Eloise Willer
Torre Spatafora
Triston Thompson
Sayku Waritay
Zyon Williams
Kamryn Sprague
Angel Tijerina
Ethan Warner
Bryson Williams
Olivia Steadman
Amara Titus
Mycheal Warner
Abbie Wise
Rachel Steele
Jade Townes
Daylan Warren
Mary Wise
Josiah Stewart
Yashiro Trujillo-Santos
Regan Warshefskie
Stephanie Wright
Jena Stinson
Benjamin Turcola
Victoria Washington
Hunter Wujcik
Charles Stirling
U
Lillian Wiener
W
Jordyn Wassen
Y
Dylan Stout
Hishi Ulak
Madeline Waterfield
Jana Yan
Alli Stovall
Caden Ulmer
Skyler Watson
Brady Stowers
Alexandra Yancey
Ava Urana
Brandon Wayne
Eric Yasaki
Katherine Stratton
V
Carson Webb
Joshua Yi
Zachary Street
Jasmine Varela
Jacob Webb
Haley Sumner
William Vaughan
Jeanette Wei
Ava Sundermann
Liya Veale
Rivers West
Dylan Susko
Isabela Villaran
Nicholas Westberg Devin White Jacob Whitley
James Young Kaleigh Young Adan Younus
Z Shanmei Zhong
You did it!
As you head off on your next adventure, don’t lose your connection to home.
Graduation is an ending that creates a new beginning. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” -Lao Tzu Congratulations to our Viking Nation Graduates! from the NWHS PTSO
ONWARD and UPWARD
JUNE 2021
23
Northern Guilford High School
Photos by Patti Stokes/NWO
Class of 2021
See more photos on Facebook.com/NorthwestObserver
About 70% of this year’s 326 seniors graduated with honors, 83 students earned Cum Laude (GPA 3.5-3.99), 90 students earned Magna Cum Laude (GPA 4.0-4.9) and 42 students earned Summa Cum Laude (GPA 4.5+). The graduating class includes one military appointment to West Point, eight National Merit commendations and one candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars program. Next year the graduates will represent Northern and Guilford County Schools at over 61 college campuses and four branches of the military. Together, the class logged in over 16,333 hours of service to their school. Within the class, 79 students participated in Career and College Promise, earning transferrable college credit, and five seniors were chosen to participate in the GAP program, each earning a $125,000 scholarship toward a 2-year degree while working for local companies. The Class of 2021 earned $3.7 million in scholarships.
Northern Guilford SENIORS Students whose names are highlighted in yellow graduated with a weighted GPA (grade-point average) of 4.5 or higher. Jazmin Nichole Brown
A Jaden Facun Abasolo
Jackson Clark Brownlee
Muluh Amaah Achina Tahngwa
Jonthomas Ryan Buckley
Luke Andrew Aggen
Nicholas Igor Buczkowski
Karen Alicia Aguilar
Meredith Lea Bumgarner
Maia Chiara Albamonte
Austin Michael Burris
Jesse Wayne Amos
Jackson Douglas Burroughs
Jacob William Andrichuk
C
D
Mercy Mwihaki Gathogo
Kevin Patrick Leo Darrow
Bradley Douglas Gentry
Haley Marie Davis
Sarah Taylor Genzlinger
Jordayne Kimberlin Daye
Ian Thomas Gibson
Mateo Joseph DeLisa
Elijah Linwood Gilbert
Joshua Henry Deslauriers
Milan Annabelle Gordon
Jack Allen Dingman
Christopher Michael Gould
Zoe Marie Dovel
Jacob Thomas Green
Tymik Karim Duff
Owen James Griffith
Blake Griffin Dunning
Ellie Pennington Grove
E Abigail Elizabeth Early Kennedy Jordan Edringston
Renisha Gurung Audrey Dolores Guyler
H
Danielle Renee Angiulli
Gavin James Calvert
Jonathan Daniel Edwards
Ashlyn Brett Haines
Alexis Blake Antonelli
Sarah Elizabeth Camden
Luke Alton Eisenbarth
Jacob Remington Halford
Joshua Antoniak
Brandon Nicolas Campbell
Jeffrey Dillon Ellis
Jacob Wayne Hamilton
Elizabeth Grace Carpenter
Madeline Kate Ellis
Emma Grace Hardiman
Emma Erika Bailey
Tyler Grayson Cass
Samuel Michael Emerick
Ali Justine Hardin
Noah Benjamin Bailey
Anaya Salise Cathcart
Tyler Jordan Emma
John Enright Harrington
Arturo Barrios-Zavala
Jocelyn Cervantes-Chipuli
Jaren Ray Evans
Cintrell Delontae Harris
Sarah Morgan Baum
Madison Grace Chambers
Eva Gail Bean
Kendall Nicole Chavis
Koury Lee Faubus
Taylor Nicole Haynes
Kyndall Morgan Beane
Alex Meares Chilton
Alex Christopher Figueroa
Alyssa Marie Hernandez
Lauren Elizabeth Bellows
Robert Bryce Chilton
Emma Dean Fischer
Joshua Ryan Hesman
Sophie Ruth Bene
Chloe Elizabeth Ciliberti
Caitlyn Nicole Fisher
Kaylea Magdalen Hofer
Luis Manuel Benitez Arriaga
Reina Marie Clark
Kamea Patrice Fleming
Justin Elaan Holloway
Savannah Grace Benton
Trinity Faith Clay
Keegan Malachi Fletcher
Abigail Marie Holmes
Lauren Paige Beuerle
Kennedy Simone Clegg
Olivia Nichole Fletcher
Kayron Cordell Artez Holt
Marissa Lemireille Bewry
Kylen Tyree Clemons
Dana Barth Forrester
Logan Shay Horner
Payton John Bilodeau
William Clay Colley
Nicholas David Forrester
Ryan Michael Hosseinzadeh
Cameron Clark Blalock
Jackson Thomas Collie
Alexandra Maria Fotopoulos
Kathryn McKenna Howell
Eduarda Reichmann Blaschke
Jeremiah Steven Collier
Jayla Victoria Froggatt
Katlynn Nicole Blevins
Yasenia Maria Cortez
Abigail Elizabeth Fry
Antonin Bolger
Gavin Quinn Cosgrove
Rohn Gavin Bowden
Clay William Coulter
Sydney Grace Gaffney
Chancellor Dean Jackson
John Michael Brennan
Marisa Emily Cramer
Zachary Christopher Gale
Westleigh Kate Jackson
Rick Allen Broach
Jackson Alexander Cundall
Gabrielle MacKenzie Garcia
Owen David Jacobs
Olivia Rose Garofola
Melanie Lizeth Jaramillo Cortes
B
Colin Vincent Brown
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JUNE 2021
F
G
ONWARD and UPWARD
Braydon Wayne Hawkins
I Ayman Awade Issaka
J
Jamarius Anthony Johnson
M
Rachel Marie Odendahl
Andrew Patrick Poole
Lauren Meredith Johnson
Abigail Marie MacEldowney
Jason Kwadwo Ofori-Boadu
Emma Lillian Powell
Chelsea Nicole Jones
Andrew David Maddox
Abby Jane Oldt
Martin Alexander Pratt
Faith Leanne Jones-Nartey
Emilia Maria Maj
Aminat Olaide Onikoyi
Noah James Pratt
Dayton Rivers Joyce
Taylor Marie Malloy
Vivianne Monserrat Juarez Serrato
Bailey Lynn Marsh
Aimee Jane Pack
Tyler Matthew Juergens
Ethan Garrett Mathena
Garrett Scott Palmer
Kaedyn Kohl McClanahan
Sarah Michelle Parker
Nyota Ramazani
Benjamin Robert Kaiser
Evan Harrison McIntyre
Trinity Mariza Parrish
Malachai Marquis Rambert
Ethan Michael Katz
Darrius McKinnon-Gardner
Kory Gray Paschal
Yoselin Yoana Ramirez
Aaron Bellivin Keat
Sarah Ratisha McLaughlin
Jessica Joyce Paul
Theresa Ramirez-Rodriguez
Mia Gracen Kelly
Hannah Rose McMasters
Emelia Kate Pearson
Dyon Delay Reese
Lathan Bryant Kennerly
Amanda Maryon McNally
Kyleigh Forbes Pegram
Collin Reese Register
Iman Fatima Khan
Jaron Demetric Meadors
Mikayla Donyell Penn
Ethan Bennett Rehder
Nadia Khan
Brady Andrew Mercer
Haylie Jade Peters
Carlisle Bella Reis
Tallal Ahamad Khan
Emily Kathleen Mercer
Caden Ray Phan
Ashley Reyes
Nicholas C Kile
Connor Riley Michael
Caroline Elizabeth Piersall
Dominic Josef Reynolds
Bryce Paul King
Catherine-Lynne Miller
Jacob Harrison Poche
Chloe Morgan Rhodes
Seth Kiprotich Kipkirui
Clay Alexander Minor
Katherine Clark Poer
Sushen Kolakaleti
Hagen Michael Molitoris
Reagan Makenna Kornegay
Charlzton Alexandria Moore
Nicholas Lee Krueger
Nathan Edward Moore
K
L Torrie Patricia Lalloway Tyler Hyatt LaMarr Markella Royall’ Lambert Joshua Hunter Lanning Nolan Christopher Lawrence Christina M Layton Caleb Alexander Leach Karol Andrea Leiva William James Lenard John Lee Letterman
R
... more NORTHERN seniors on next page
Darlenne Noemi Mosqueda
Arredondo Noah Foster Mount Ayana Amina Muhammad Allison Elizabeth Mullahey Roxanna Hope Mulrooney Rakeem Jamil Murchison Charlotte Elizabeth Murphy Jerome Clarence Myles
Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church celebrates and congratulates its graduating seniors: James William Gunter III (Will Gunter) McMichael High School
Landon Hodgin
Caldwell Academy
Dillon Logan
Northern Guilford High School
Abby Peebles
Grimsley High School
N Pietro Nicholas Nardi
Dillon Jelks Logan
James Eley Newsome
Javier Lora
Ella Read Nichols
Zachary John Lucas
Carly Marie Purgason
Jackson William Moricle
Caeley Brooke Lewis
Jackson Charles Lovelace
Noah Christopher Pruitt
P
Ethan Vandemeer
Niels Bohr Academy Homeschool & Forsyth Technical Community College
We are proud of you and send you with our prayers and blessings. Go with God’s grace to love and serve the world.
O Connor Patrick O’Neal
ONWARD and UPWARD
JUNE 2021
27
Jocelyn Leigha Ribeiro
Richmond Beau Simmons
Zane Joseph Thompson
Jessica Morgan Whitaker
Devon Ahmarie Richardson
Sanya Singh
Christian Alexander Torres Nolasco
Adonijah Favian Whitley
Alexis Renea Ricketts
Kyle Matthew Sivret
Samantha Jennie Townes
Grace Susan Whitlow
George Tucker Riley
Mason Cole Smith
McKayla Lee Traxler
Ashleigh Michelle Wilborn
Camilla M Rivas
Cassidy Adair Spencer
Colby Joseph Tritschler
Jacob Weldon Wilkerson
Nicole Elizabeth Roane
Chase Robert Sperka
Garrett Christopher Trull
Dalton Elias Wilkins
Andrew Jacob Robakiewicz
Paige Allison Spicer
Marlow Reed Turner
Ishmel St George Wilkinson
Kaela Grace Claudine Rochester
Anthony Albert Spizzo
Sydney Paige Turner
Brett Tyler Williams
Diego Anthony Rodriguez
Ava Clare Spradley
Olivia Lauren Rollins
Sarah Abigail Stansill
Alexis Lenora Underwood
Hailey Faith Williamson
William Thomas Starling
Britany Uscanga-Mortera
Sarah Rebecca Willoughby
S
U
Sophie Williams
Alyse Rae Wilson
Yoseph Ahmed Sabek
Garrett Paul Stefanick
Ana Terra Santos
Parker Ashley Stewart
Braden James Vail
Nash Alexander Wilson
Annalise Grace Schumacher
Sophia Irene Tao Strugnell
Ari Truman Vernon
Bella Rane Wooden
Jacob Wellings Scott
Jackson Ellis Sudermann
Kylah Vertrese Seymore
V
W Kyleigh Elizabeth Wall
T
Gabriella Michelle Wright Keaton Jack Wright
Leah Elizabeth Shafer
Jaxon Ethan Tabor
William Wade Wallace
Luna Marie Shaffer
Griffin Bryn Talley
Samuel Hugh Jones Walt
Zubair Hussien Yimam
Mackenzie Laine Shipman
Chloe Danielle Templeman
Slater William Ward
Jonah Matthew Yonaitis
Benjamin Clark Shuttleworth
Roman Sterling Hutchens
Maxwell Arthur Warner
Bradley Ryan Sigmon Thomas Andrew Silvia
Templeton
Brady Christian Thomas
Zachary Michael Watts
Y
Z Lucie Camille Zerfoss
Anna Brooke Wellington
You did it!
As you head off on your next adventure, don’t lose your connection to home.
In Print. Online.
Read it when you want, where you want, how you want 28
JUNE 2021
ONWARD and UPWARD
ASHLEY COX
Carolina – where she will study to become a pharmacist.
...continued from p. 7
members of the team were allowed to practice, she said. Running also helped fill the hours Cox spent at home. Training “was definitely something I looked forward to, even if it was just running up and down the street in my neighborhood,” she said. Cox plans to try out for the crosscountry team at her next stop – Campbell University in Buies Creek, North
RYCOR COON ...continued from p. 9
“I wanted to see friends in person again,” he said. He had also missed in-person instruction.
“I just learn so much better if I can see the teachers,” he said. “It helped me stay involved and made class so much more interesting.” Returning to the classroom reminded Coon how much he had missed his teachers, such as Kim Deyton, his AP U.S. History teacher. “We can learn so much more from our teachers than the subjects they
She said she looks forward to attending college classes in person, as she was able to do in her final weeks of high school.
“It’s so much easier to ask questions and interact when you’re physically with other people,” she said. “I really wanted to see faces.”
CAROLINE HOWARD ...continued from p. 11
spending time with friends and family, “as much time outside as I possibly can,” listening to music and playing with her two dogs, which includes one adopted during quarantine. This fall Howard will head to Duke University. There, she looks forward to exploring different subjects her first year before deciding on a major,
MATTHEW OH teach,” Coon said. “They’ve been through so much life. I really appreciate seeing them and hearing their stories.” Coon will carry those lessons with him when he moves about 2,000 miles from North Carolina to Utah to begin college. He plans to return to Oak Ridge after his freshman year, but for just a few weeks. Next summer, he plans to depart for a two-year work mission, one of the traditions of the Mormon church.
“I will go wherever I get sent,” he said. “My teachers gave me such a good outlook on life,” he added. “Yes, we learned a lot in school, but there’s a lot more for us to learn and there’s so much to look forward to.”
We would like to express our
...continued from p. 13
Having someone play devil’s advocate was important, Oh observed.
“Everyone has views and I agreed with the class on the majority of issues, but if there is never a radical challenge to your views, it’s hard to know why you believe or think a certain way, so I felt it would be helpful if I were to play that role,” he said. Oh also credits his 11th grade English teacher, Melanie HuynhDuc, for being “just a great teacher overall and helping me develop a lot of my writing fundamentals. And, she got me into John Steinbeck with a
which will likely be in the medical or science field. Her sister is a rising junior at Duke and her brother is in graduate school at UNC-Chapel Hill, and she’s excited about having them close by. She’s also excited about making new friends, taking classes she is interested in, and being surrounded by people with diverse ideas who are also interested in the same subjects – and of course, she’s excited about going to Duke basketball and other college sporting events. research project she assigned.” Finishing out his high school years in the midst of a pandemic was not without challenges, Oh admits. “I relied on teachers being a regular presence in my life to maintain my motivation, so after COVID hit, I struggled a bit with having the motivation to complete my assignments. I was a little surprised at that. It was definitely a challenge at first to meet my own deadlines; and obviously, none of the clubs were meeting, which was very unfortunate.” When gathering restrictions were in full force, he and friends often connected by playing games online – and he read a lot (one of his favorite books is “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck, and a close second is “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card). This fall Oh will head to Princeton University in New Jersey, where he plans to focus on something related to chemistry – possibly chemical engineering, although he says that may change.
gratitude to the many businesses, churches & family members
who financially helped make this publication possible through their advertising
We couldn’t have done it without you! publisher of the Northwest Observer, Northwest FINDER, At Home in northwest Guilford County, To Your Health, Back to School and Onward & Upward
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COVID CHALLENGES AND TAKEAWAYS
would rather make decisions based on their own agenda versus making decisions based on people’s wants.
tant, and helped me feel like things were getting back to normal. My biggest disappointment was probably not getting into my top choice of college.” Olivia Key, NWHS
“Many people wanted there to be a decision on going back. However, the school system tried to keep their teachers happy by making us all stay online. Once the vaccine was made available for teachers, we were allowed to go back.
...continued from p. 15
“For me, the hardest part of this past year was having online and in-person school, because I was online the entire year although other kids returned to the classroom. It was hard to have that barrier between the kids who were there with the teachers and the kids who were online and not sitting in front of them where they could read facial expressions, see how they were working and if they were able to understand the content. What I learned from that is that no matter what, you have to be willing to take matters in your own hands, take responsibility and not rely too much on others.” Charlzton Moore, Northern Guilford “I would say the most difficult part was staying social. I have a tight group of friends now, but I’ve become more distant with a lot of people I usually don’t see outside of school. “From this past year I learned to stay engaged, not just in school, but also in my social life. Staying engaged helped me stay motivated throughout the school year.
“The biggest highlight for me was being able to experience my last season playing for the school soccer team, and the biggest disappointment I had was not being able to see all my friends in school for the majority of the year.” Jared Petrosky, NWHS “Having everything online made it harder to learn the material because you weren’t in person with the teachers and it was harder to ask questions. My biggest takeaway from all this is that I got much better at being organized and being accountable for completing all my assignments.” Gabi Wright, Northern Guilford “The hardest part of this past year was being separated from my friends and doing my work online, which was so difficult. But it definitely taught me that all I need is myself and sometimes your good friends will stay and the ones who aren’t so good will leave.” Paige Moore, NWHS “The most difficult part was the lack of communication from the school system about schedule changes, and class requirements such as attendance and assignment due dates. “I learned that our school system
“My biggest highlight was graduating after such a rough year and my biggest disappointment was not being able to see people regularly.” Vinny Cagno, NWHS “My biggest struggle was being accountable for the choices I made during the pandemic. As for my takeaway, it’s just, live life.” Keaton Wright, Northern Guilford “My biggest challenge was not being with all my friends. But in my junior year, before the coronavirus hit, I met four really good dudes and this year we found time outside of school to hang out. That brought us together and showed the true value of friendship. I found out it’s not really the time you find in pleasure, but the pleasure you get out of your time that matters.” Logan Moore, NWHS “The biggest challenge of this year was being online, stuck at home with none of my friends and also taking
Congrats,
AP Biology. Future tip for those of you rising seniors: do not take AP Bio, especially if it’s online. That class will just take everything out of you!” Maxwell Warner, Northern Guilford “The most difficult part was not being able to see my friends during my last year of high school. The things that you normally get to experience with your friends you did by yourself or not at all. “I learned to not take anything for granted. I normally would dread going to school but I really missed it this year. “I think my biggest highlight was that we got to have an actual prom. I am so thankful to all of the parents who made it happen for us. I’m looking forward to continuing my education and my cheerleading career at N.C. State. Go Pack!” Kaleigh Young, NWHS “I wasn’t used to taking classes online, so I had to adapt to a new way of organizing my work and being on top of everything.” Will Starling, Northern Guilford “Learning how to manage my schedule all by myself and having to find motivation within myself was difficult. The most important lessons I learned were self-discipline, finding those internal drives, and wanting success, not through your teachers or grades but through your own internal motivation
Carson Reynolds
Caldwell Academy, class of 2021
Carson, congratulations on reaching what feels like an ending, but is really a beginning! We are so proud of you and of the man you are becoming. We can't wait to see where the Lord leads you and how He will use you in this world. You are a blessing. We love you! Dad, Mom, Jonathan, AnnaGrace, and Lily
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and achievements. Seeva Cherukuri, NWHS “The most challenging part of this past year of school was adapting to everything they threw at us – because they changed it a lot! It was for the best, I’m sure, but it was challenging learning online and not being with classmates. It definitely made me accountable, though, which I wasn’t always successful at. It’s good preparation for college, because the teachers won’t be there to hold your hand.” Savannah Benton, Northern Guilford “My biggest challenge was attending online classes. My biggest takeaway is to interact with all your classmates, because you’ll never see most of them again.” Jessica Choi, NWHS “Not being able to see friends and teachers was hard, but it got better towards the end of the year and we got to see each other at prom and at a Grasshoppers game. My advice to others would be, don’t procrastinate, because doing your work on time will make it easier in the long run.” Aminat Onikoyi, Northern Guilford
“Finding the motivation to get up and attempt to do school work instead of laying around was the hardest part about this year. It taught me that hard work pays off, to always believe in yourself, and you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.” Jenna Moore, NWHS “The hardest part for me was focusing – it was difficult being online. Learning to manage my time was my takeaway.” Charlie Chen, NWHS
“Trying to work by myself without much help was the hardest thing
about this past year. As for takeaways, you’re more focused when you’re alone.” Dominic Reynolds, Northern Guilford “The hardest part was having to be my own motivation and guide my own learning. With that, I learned a better understanding of what it will be like in my adult life. While it’s not ideal, I feel this situation set us up for success and taught us self-motivation and to kind of pick ourselves up by our bootstraps and take hold of our own lives instead of always having someone look over our shoulder.” Macey Moore, NWHS
Congrats class of 2021 Despite all the challenges you faced the last two years of high school, you did it! Embrace the journey and don’t forget the road back home to your loved ones.
“My biggest challenge this year was moving to a new school. It was my first and my last year at Northern, and trying to adapt to doing everything online was really hard because neither the teachers nor the students had enough time. What I learned was to be more independent and do what I needed to do without someone else telling me to.” Ashley Reyes, Northern Guilford “We had to solve everything through the remote learning process, but the highlight was that we came together and beat this thing.” Kelsey Cheney, NWHS “Definitely the hardest thing about being a senior this year was the schedule changes – and there were a lot of them throughout the year. You would get into a rhythm and a change would interrupt it – but once you got into that rhythm you would be successful. One takeaway was, once I returned to in-person class (this spring) it was a lot of fun and one of the best experiences I’ve had to see people I hadn’t seen in a while and know everything was getting back to normal.” Matthew Cinao, NWHS
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Congratulations Class of 2021 In addition to the Northern Guilford and Northwest Guilford High School graduates, we would like to congratulate all the high school graduates living in our local communities who attended schools throughout Guilford County and beyond, including private and charter schools, and those who were home schooled.
And a few words of advice... (Excerpted from “Make Your Bed,” by Admiral William H. McRaven)
Remember… start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone. Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if you take some risks, step up when times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden, and never, ever give up — if you do these things, then you can change your life for the better… and maybe the world!
We wish you all the best publisher of the Northwest Observer, Northwest FINDER, At Home in northwest Guilford County, To Your Health, Back to School and Onward & Upward
