14 | BALANCE OF EXCELLENCE
A
n average day in the life of Caroline Causey revolves around the HIES STEM building. Since Causey began high school, she was passionate about the STEM classes HIES offers. She was drawn to these classes, because she could apply what she learned to real-life scenarios. Since her Sophomore year, she involved herself in various, rigorous courses like engineering, computer science, and data structures, but physics was her favorite. “The people in it are so kind and Mr. Boltri... makes the environment really fun… [he] is like one of our friends.” At the end of sophomore year, Causey attended a leadership and engineering Summer Program at Berkeley College. “I was interested in engineering, but there are many branches and I didn’t know which one I wanted to go into.” Caroline has a lot on her plate. Though serving as President of SNHS, editor of the yearbook, and Girl Talk leader, she remains able to manage it all. Causey will move on to North Carolina State University as a member of the Park Scholarship Program. “I have become obsessed with the program… I get to connect with a group of kids who are so passionate about their own unique thing.”
CAROLINE CAUSEY
Causey defines success as “making an impact on not just yourself, but seeing how your success positively influences others and the community.” Hopes are high that Caroline Causey will positively influence her peers as she enters college in the Fall.
ACADEMICS F
rom the wrestling ring to the computer science lab, Robert McDonald embodies the ideal student: he has forged a stellar list of academic achievements, all while remaining committed to his athletics and radiating a rare form of sincere empathy and affability.
Although McDonald has always had a passion for computer science, specifically because of its “combination of math, science, and problem-solving,” he also believes strongly in “being a well-rounded student.” And it is because of this philosophy that he has been able to maintain a consistently high grade in all of his courses and achieve coveted academic accolades such as being one of two National Merit Scholars at HIES. McDonald’s achievements have not come easy -- he has worked hard. And what has propelled his steadfast commitment to academics has been his recognition of the future. “When I’m in the dumps, and I question why I’m doing this, I will always say to myself: ‘This is temporary and I’m going to get through it. I know that everything I do now is going to help set me up for the future,’” McDonald said. Despite McDonald’s clear aptitude for academics, you’ll never hear him boast about any of his awards or his impressive GPA. Instead, “he is one of the most grounded and best people I know, and he always has a smile on his face,” Sarai Jackson ‘21 said. McDonald is both “excited and nervous” about “meeting new people and the new environment [of Georgia Tech],” but his good-natured personality and profound intellect will undoubtedly guide him on a path towards immense success.
ROBERT MCDONALD
