ForsythNews.com | FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS | 13C
Weekend Edition - May 30-31, 2020
Winning in the courtroom:
How this South Forsyth grad discovered his passion By Sabrina Kerns
skerns@forsythnews.com
Friends describe Bryan Walker as a “yes man,” always going along with whatever clubs, sports and other extracurriculars that those around school ask him to take part in. The habit has led Walker to spend 12-hour days at school as he struggled to manage his time to fit everything he could into his day, but the habit has also led him to his passion. During his freshman and sophomore years, Walker studied at Forsyth Central High School within the STEM program with the hope of a future in engineering. Walker was satisfied with his choice until one day a senior at the school asked him to join in on the mock trial team. The student managed to convince him, and, reluctantly, Walker joined and started preparing for competition. “But the first time we went into the courtroom for competition we ended up winning,” Walker said. “And I got to give our opening statement, and it ended up being the best experience of my life.” The experience made Walker realize how much he truly fell in love with mock trial and the idea that he could one day help others as an attorney. It turned Walker’s high school goals upside down, and he soon left the STEM program and transferred to South Forsyth High School at the start of his junior year to join its International Baccalaureate program. “It was like a complete 180 for me,” Walker said. During the start of his junior year, Walker was in a whole new environment, getting lost a few times on campus and trying to make new friends, but he still quickly became heavily involved in school clubs and activities.
Along with the mock trial team, Walker competed on the Varsity track team at South Forsyth, and he led students as the president of the black student union, the junior class president, and then later on as the senior class president. Walker described his last year at South Forsyth as momentous as he and the rest of the student council worked with the school’s principal to revamp school spirit and bring the students together. Thanks to their efforts, more students started showing up to football games and cheering on players, the school had its first homecoming dance in years and students started to take more pride in their school. The year later came to a halt when students found out in early April that schools in Forsyth County would be closed for the remainder of the year due to the coronavirus. Walker said that, like many of his other classmates, thinking about the missed time at school and all of the teachers he was not able to share a goodbye with made him emotional. Looking back on his time in Forsyth County and at school, Walker said there is so much that he is going to miss when he leaves for the University of Georgia in the fall. He has spent most of his life in Forsyth County, and still sees his old elementary and middle schools every other day when he goes on a run through town. Although it is a small ritual, one thing Walker said he will miss most is his snack runs to QuikTrip with his oldest friends. Before heading over to hang out at each other’s houses, the group of them will always stop off at the QuikTrip down the road to grab milkshakes and junk food. “Before we started driving back in middle school, we used to walk from our houses down to there, and it used to be like a
whole day thing,” Walker said. Walker’s goal this summer is to spend as much time as he can with his family and his friends before they split ways and start
a new chapter in college in the fall. With graduation on his mind, Walker said that he has been especially thankful to his parents for supporting him and
having his back through all of his endeavors and to South Forsyth Principal Laura Wilson for giving him the opportunities to stand out in school.
SOUTH fORSYTH High school class of 2020 Melissa Abraham Arnav Adulla Michelle Aguilera Leonard Ahn Laraib Akhtar Megan Alexander Martin Almazan Jamie Altis Camilo Alvarez Meher Ambati Addison Ambrose Hailey Anderson Taylor Andronica Fabiha Anwar Rowen Aragon Grady Arant Shourya Arashanapalli Krithi Ariga Rachel Atkeison Sourish Avasarala Alivia Ayres Armin Badiee Gihoon Baek Anushka Bagad Joslyn Bair Sophia Baker Sydney Baker Tushita Bansal Erin Barnett Payton Barnett Ethan Barrilleaux Sydney Barrilleaux Aryan Battula Brooke Beiring Jack Bell Jackson Benefield Chloe Bennett Lilee Bennett Emery Betzer Sumer Bhurgri Franklin Biju Marc Bilia Patrick Bilia Max Blanck Olivia Bock Sameeksha Boddireddy Jenna Boone Willian Botta de Sousa Cole Bouldin Olivia Bowen
Brennan Bower Lauren Brady Bailey Breeze Barrett Breeze Ashley Breindl Dylan Brennan Sydney Britton Logan Brown Lily Bryson Sindu Bukka Zachary Buzek Madelynne Cadeau Chase Calloway John Cane Caroline Carden Ethan Carmical Maya Carter Kayla Casey Kelsey Castronova Lyndsey Catizone Geran Caywood Shreeya Chalasani Jordan Chancy Anisha Chaudhari Anushka Chaudhari Amisha Chaudhary Rishitha Cheemarla Raymond Chen Soumya Chenna Alexandra Chiang Kathy Choe Amelia Clark Jordyn Cleveland Maria Co Lara Cochran Bryce Cockfield Judson Coffey Connor Cole Hannah Coleman Olivia Conklin Justin Connelly Brendan Connolly Kaitlyn Cook Sydney Copeland Aaron Cordero Alexander Corkery Jack Corkery Ethan Cosson Caitlyn Crawford Colby Cruz
Grayson Custer Julianne Dame Ethan Damiano Keerthi Dande Andrew Dandeneau Benjamin Daniel Michael Danks Sachinshripadh Dasu Jacqueline Del Villar Maddalen Demars Claire Deng Arnold Diw-al Halie Donahue Christopher Dougherty Parker Duncan Sara Dunn Jordan Dutremble Kylie Duttenhofer Vaishnavi Duvvuri Amanda Edwards Brady Eldredge Dylan Emerson Gracie Englund Kaylee Erneston Beatrice Evans Amaan Faraz Keith Fehr Zachary Felton Cameron Ferenchik Sameer Fidai Abigail Fisher Hunter Floyd Emilie Flynn Ryan Fogarty Savannah Fortune Sarah Foster Natalie Francingues Isabella Frank Jacob Frias Taylor Fries James Fuerst William Fullett Sarah Funderburg Parker Futch Tarini Gajelli Kyle Galloway Ronit Ganguly Vanessa Garcia-Urbina Jackson Garland Jeffrey Garnace
Sarah Gates Samantha Gebhardt Heather Genzale Jason George Pari Ghosh Sophie Gibb Rafferty Gifford Abigail Gilbert Kaelah Glenn Andrew Goettee Sydney Goncalves Mahin Gonela Saranya Gourisetti Vithun Govindarajan Olivia Grady Thomas Green Aidan Griffin Avery Grisham Carlos Guerrero Nithya Gujja Adrian Gutierrez Katherine Haas Laiken Hackemer Brandon Haddad Alaysia Haggard Emma Haines Nathaniel Hammond Reese Hammond Madison Hannah Lillian Hansen Shehenaz Haque Abigail Hartman Grant Harvey Meghan Hawley Kylyn Healy Mitchell Heath Axel Hernandez-Vara Ciera Hickman Sarah Hicks Logan Hitch Nicolas Hobson Grace Hoyt Isabel Hui Ishika Hussain Jonathan Ireland Rachita Iyer Northerlan Jackson Kaitlyn Jacobson
Bryce Michael Wiggins Mackenzie Caylin Wilder Andrew David Will Charles Austin Williams Claire Kathryn Williams Emma Karen Williams Olivia Naomi Williams Peyton Robert Williams Abigail Leigh Wilson Jake Anthony Wilson James Alexander Wilson Madison Winship Anna Jean Winsness Gabriel Franklin Winters Gabrielle Noel Wisdom Jesse Benjamin Wise
Karli Belle Wiseman Justin David Wlosko Grace Anna Wood Lynzie Anna Woodard Carson James Woodliff Jonathan Mitchell Wright Austin Keith Yarbrough Shelby Graycen Yarbrough Christian Thomas Young Lauren Mikayla Young Ryan Lindol Zink Hanna Mallory Zinn Rafael Eduardo Zurita Fermin Jack Andrew Zylstra
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nORTH fORSYTH High school class of 2020 Dylan James Vance Mackenzie Lauren Vanleuven Isabella Ashley Vann Julia Anne Vara Madison Paige Vash Adrianna Pauline Vega Anna Kirsten Venegas Halle Corrin Vercek Melina Christine Vergilis Madison Nicole Vincent Cole Austin Vinson Jackie Dalton Wade Diana Christine Waguespack Karlyn Faith Walker Kirby Carlton Walker Payton Nicole Waltman
Anna Grace Ward Trevor Brian Waters August Jamison Henderson Watkins Josephine Rose Watkins Julia Marie Watt John Ernest Weaver Lindsey Louise Weaver Gabrielle Janea Webb Lindsey Katherine Wehunt Jessica Fay Weinstein Rillian Diana West Andrew James Weyenberg Jacob Michael White Julian Luis White Hayden Elizabeth Whittington Haylee Marie Wicks