4C | FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS | ForsythNews.com
Weekend Edition - May 30-31, 2020
Denmark senior helped document history of new high school By Brian Paglia
bpaglia@forsythnews.com
When the Denmark High School boys basketball team clinched its first region championship, Sophie Ralph was there with her camera. When the newest Forsyth County high school held its first prom in 2019, Ralph was there with her camera. At pep rallies and volleyball matches and everything in between, Ralph was always there with her camera to capture the moment for the Denmark yearbook. “So that everyone can appreciate them is really important to me,” Ralph said. Over her four years of high school — first at South Forsyth, then at Denmark when it opened in 2019 — Ralph found a passion for storytelling. It started at the South Forsyth student newspaper,
The Nest. Ralph was the art critic. She wrote about the theater department’s productions. Ralph particularly enjoyed giving readers a peek behind the curtain. “I really loved kind of opening up what was going on backstage to everyone that wasn’t involved,” Ralph said. Denmark didn’t have a student newspaper when Ralph transitioned there, but determined to pursue journalism, Ralph decided to get involved with yearbook. Within two weeks, she was its editor-inchief leading a team of designers, photographers and writers to document life at Denmark. The position gave her a wide experience of the school and helped her develop new skills. “Yearbook had so many different elements that I loved,” Ralph said. “I love photography. I love writing. Designing
was something that I’d never done before but I really enjoyed. It kind of played to my strengths.” Yearbook allowed Ralph to be there for many of the school’s biggest moments. For example, she relished taking photos of Homecoming. It just so happened her good friend was named Homecoming King. “That made me so happy for him,” Ralph said. Initially, Ralph was a little unsure about going to a brand-new high school, but she eventually realized it gave her the chance to do things she probably wouldn’t have at South Forsyth. Ralph founded the Denmark chapter of Just One Africa, an organization that provides orphans and vulnerable children in Africa with access to clean water, and organized fundraisers. She
also created a digital news show on Twitter, called The Denmark Sports News Network, where she interviewed coaches for pre- and post-game reports as well as athletes for a “senior spotlight” series. But for all the big moments Ralph got to be a part of, some of her favorite ones that she’ll take with her when she attends the University of Georgia are the less noteworthy ones: seeing Denny the Great Dane, the school’s mascot, in the hallway, or sitting in the courtyard with friends during lunch. “Just being a high school student,” Ralph said. “There’s really no pressure on them to be these great things. They just are great on their own. I think those are the moments that really made that place great for me.”
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denmark High school class of 2020 Matthew Adams Ethan Afflick Shehzaad Ahmed Anish Alase Alyssa Alay-ay Abdullah Altayyar Prem Amin Jacob Ardila Isabella Areiza Christopher Armenta Emily Armstrong Hollis Armstrong Aryan Arora Arturo Arreola-Paredes Aparna Arul Anirudh Arunkumar Oluwaseyi Atobasire Lea Baker Robert Barbour Luc Barenghien Calvin Barge Jaylon Beasley Riley Becker Federico Bedolla Juarez Joseph Benfante Darien Bermudez-Zayas Ashmith Bhavanam Rohan Bhole Anushka Bhumkar Sera Biju Emily Bitterman Luke Blair Jazmyn Blake Isabella Blankenship Zachary Bourg Spencer Brackett Jaden Bradley
Chase Brock Aaliyah Brown Jordan Brunson Trevor Bryk Zachary Burchfield Emma Burns William Burns Ozlem Cakmak Briyiht Camacho Ruben Camacho Yarely Cantera Hernandez Ze’Vian Capers Perla Cardenas Lugo Nicholas Carozza Yasmin Carvalho Matthew Cassandra Alehandra Castillo Alexander Castillo Taylor Cavanaugh Ida Ceesay Asiya Chakhoyeva Raghuveer Chamala Avani Chandak Sanjana Chandrasekar Woo Ju Chee Ivan Chelaru Caitlin Chilton Sumanth Chiluvuri Vishwak Chithaluri Nicolas Cimino Silvestre Cisneros Quiroz Carsten Clanton Sarah Clark Jamie Cohen Bryaunna Collins Paige Connealy Emmanuel Correa
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Forsyth Central High school class of 2020 Ty James Sherman Shekina Shindano Coby Shultz Gavin Stuart Sievenpiper Shane Erik Silva Neeshad Singh Aaron Nicholas Skinner Shelby Ann Smallwood Audrey Grace Smith Chloe Pike Smith Grace Elaina Smith Leonna Sue Smith Matthew Daniel Lawrence Smith Mattison Grace Smith Phoebe Pike Smith Reagan Makenzie Smith Anna Jordan Sol Jesse Solis Fernando Soto Gallegos Emma Catherine Southerland Paulo Victor F. Souza Mackwan Sringam Chloe Grace St Germain Isabella Carlisle Stanley Claire Elizabeth Starling Grant W. Steiner Ashleigh Eleanor Stemple Aimee Mechele Stephens Ariel Isabella Stevens
Emma Janet Stevenson Kaitlin Ann Stokes Shellby Madison Jane Stowers Grace Christine Strano Britney Laura Strayhorn Camden William Suddarth Noah Benjamin Suh Rakhima Suleyman Ridvan B. Suleymanov McKenzie Ann Sullivan Beth Anissa Suranie Rayna Jean Swafford William B. Swetmon Carl Caleb Swigart Alex William Szakacs Alexa Raquel Taylor Devon Scott Taylor Christopher Robert Thiltgen Andrew Reid Thomas Tucker Zachary Thomas Susie Galloway Thompson Victoria Rhianne Thompson Amelia Marie Toledano Michael F. Toman Daniel Alexander Torres Brayan Torres-Gonzalez Jordan Tovar Austin Havord Trask Bryan Alexis Trejo
Oscar Trejo Edjar Trejo Amy Elizabeth Trobaugh Kristen Elizabeth Turner Pierce Lane Tyner Lauren Eloise Uldrich Alexis Manuel Valdez Mendoza Samara Lia Valencia Alfredo Vallejo Aquino Julia Elizabeth Vallier Taylor Alexis VanVarick Jhanelle Deidra Vassell Sriikhar Vedurupaka Eric Vega Anthony Joseph Verde Juan Carlos Villagomez Rodriguez Antony Jason Villeda Aslyn Villeda Faith Ellen Wagoner Emily Robyn Wakefield Madison Elise Walbrun Brianna Annette Walker Lauren Caroline Wall Logan Elizabeth Wallace Alden Avery Wanner Dustin Casey Ward Shiva Ireland Warriner Zachary A. Wasson Ashley Nicole Wathen
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