EXTRA
Gage Young
Senior of the Month BY HAILEY REYES
Lily Batley Senior of the Month
BY MARY-CATHERINE STEPHENS
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ily Batley is one of the most exceptional students at Plant City High School; She juggles sports, extracurriculars, academics, and community service, seemingly effortlessly. You can always count on Lily for an encouraging word and a smile that will light up the room. Lily has a true passion for others and goes out of her way to serve them. Her dedication to all that she does is a rarity. Her GPA exceeds a 7.0 and she is ranked in the top 2 percent of her graduating class. She has worked hard academically and athletically. She has been a dual sport athlete all 4 years at PCHS. Lily’s academic and athletic talents do not go unnoticed, but that is not what makes her shine. Her desire to give back to her community and to others is what lights up any room she is in. She has documented over 200 community service hours with different organizations. She can be seen feeding the homeless, gathering donations for Relay for Life, and tutoring students who need an academic boost. Lily is a member of the Girls Interact Club, PCHS Peer Jury, President of the PCHS National Honor Society, and Secretary of the PCHS FFA Senior Chapter. She has also volunteered many hours at the hospital which solidified her desire to become a pediatric cardiologist. Lily hopes to continue her education at the University of Florida in the fall. She will continue to serve and be an encouragement wherever she goes.
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hile entering the final inning of his high school education, Gage Young now must consider the opportunities he may encounter in a new ball field. Due to his diligence and consistent hard work completed in high school, Young will find little difficulty in his transition to higher education, on this new field. Before anything else, Young is a baseball player. His coaches and experiences playing baseball have shaped him into the person he is today. Young’s future and past are filled with baseball and he finds it difficult to imagine a life without it. After graduation, he hopes to play baseball for as long as circumstances allow. His successful 15-year baseball career thus far has entailed- a near entry into the little league world series, a placing of twelfth out of 104 teams in Cooperstown, a district title his freshman year, and several district appearances. Young describes one of his most memorable high school experiences as, “Winning the district title freshman year, seeing all of my brother excited and excelling in something they love to do is very heartwarming.” Young is thankful for every baseball coach and teacher who has impacted his life but a few such as Coach Smitty [Mr. Smith] and Tony Saladino have had influences on his life that he will not forget. About Tony Saladino, Young said, “He has coached me from the time that I was seven and during that time has helped me to become the person and baseball player that I am today.” Coach Smitty though, being Young’s Criminal Justice teacher has opened life opportunities for him. After completing Criminal Justice this year, Young will receive his unarmed Security Guard license, which he says, is one step towards a possible career in law enforcement. Young explained that his parents have been his biggest support throughout high school; they are persistent in motivating him to keep his grades up, staying involved in clubs such as National Honor Society, Student Government Association, and Students All Connected. In alignment with his accomplishments in baseball, Young’s academic career has been above average- he has taken AP and honors classes which help to bring his weighted GPA up to a 5.1 and he scored an 1100 on his SAT. After high school, Young plans to attend Palm Beach State College where he will play baseball for two years before he transfers to a four-year college.