LUKE HENDRIX

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YOUR GUIDE TO WAYNE COUNTY’S PEOPLE, PLACES, AND BUSINESSES

A Bright and Shining STAR

STORY BY ALLEN ALLNOCH PHOTO BY GENNY THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY

From the pristine high school diploma he recently received (with honors), right down to the dirt and grass under his fi ngernails, Luke Hendrix’s life is inextricably woven into the fabric of the Wayne County community.

“Over the years, opening my eyes to see our eff orts grow bright green out of my bedroom window each morning has taught me what hard work can accomplish.” (Photo by Genny Thomas Photography)

Luke was Wayne County High’s Class of 2022 Valedictorian, as well as the STAR Student and winner of the 2022 National FFA Fruit Production Profi ciency Award.

The la er honor comes as a result of Luke’s hard work at Eight Day Farms, a family business where he is partially responsible for servicing a 150-acre, 1,200-tree pecan orchard. In a 2021 essay for the Rural Scholars Program at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, he wrote:

“Over the years, working as a family, we have been blessed enough to revive what once seemed lost into a thriving pecan farm of 1,200 trees. It’s November, now, and there is, arguably, no busier month for a pecan farmer. It’s harvest time. We’re short on daylight and our days are long. As with most rewarding endeavors, it takes everyone pulling together to get the job done – and we often come in covered in dust and grease and in serious need of a bath.

“It’s hard work, no doubt, but one thing I know for certain – it’s worth it. Over the years, opening my eyes to see our eff orts grow bright green out of my bedroom window each morning has taught me what hard work can accomplish. There are not words suffi cient to express my gratitude for being so fortunate as to be born and brought up in rural Georgia.”

Luke, the son of Lance and Emily Hendrix, learned he had won the FFA award when he a ended the 2021 National FFA Convention at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis last fall.

“That experience taught me more than anything the value of persistence,” Luke wrote in his UGA essay. “Reaching the goal I had been working toward for over a year, I realized just how blessed I was. FFA has opened the door for me to accomplish much more than just the national victory. Without it, I would not have met some of my best friends, most trusted teachers, or been able to compete in so many competitions. FFA changed the entire course of my high school career, and the direction of my college career as well.”

Luke's next big accolade was the STAR Student honor he received in March of this year. He also posted an SAT score of 1500 and a GPA of 101.456, the la er of which ranked him fi rst of 351 students in his class.

“I saw Luke stand out very early in his education at Wayne County High School,” says Wayne County Board of Education Chairman Nicholas Ellis. “It was clear to me early on that he was a dedicated student leader who would do great things while a ending WCHS.”

Lourdes Zachry, Wayne County High Spanish Teacher, adds: “Luke is one of the top three students I have taught in 40 years of teaching high school Spanish. I enjoyed watching him, in good humor, spar with other students as they challenged each other in class. He was always a positive force for the be erment of all.”

Indeed Luke’s impact goes beyond mere awards and numbers. He is a past President of the Class of 2022, Chairman of the Wayne County Board Of Education Student Advisory Board, Executive Board Member in the Future Farmers of America CTAE program, WCHS Student Council member, and a leader on the WCHS Varsity Swim Team. He is a leader in every arena of his life – in school, at home, at church, at work, and in the community.

“Everything from Luke’s life experiences to the way he conducts himself made him a powerful voice at Wayne County High School,” Ellis says. “Above all things, he has the ability to inspire others.”

Luke will head off in the fall for Athens, where he will a end UGA’s Jere W. Morehead College of Honors as a distinguished Foundation Fellow. The Foundation Fellowship is considered the most prestigious academic honor off ered by the University. Of some 900

STAR STUDENT P

Below: Luke with other Jesup FFA students outside the Lucas Oil Stadium, site of the competition for the National FFA Convention. From left: Paul Purcell, LilyBeth Day, Mason Chesnut, Luke Hendrix, Lance Dawson, Alissa Archer, Kaylee Arnold and Natalie Hendrix.

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Top: As a result of Luke’s hard work at Eight Day Farms, a family business where he is partially responsible for servicing a 150-acre, 1,200-tree pecan orchard, he is winner of the 2022 National FFA Fruit Production Profi ciency Award. Right: Luke was a leader on the WCHS varsity swim team.

applicants to the program from 16 states and three countries, Luke was one of only four fi nalists not from a major metro area or out of state. He plans to major in Biological Sciences through the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.

When he fi nishes his studies at UGA, Luke plans to follow in his father’s footsteps by practicing medicine and raising a family in Wayne County. He credits his success to hard work and determination, his strong faith in God, and the army of support he has received in his hometown. He looks forward to giving back to this community that has poured so much into him.

Michael Kirkland, Agriscience Teacher and FFA Advisor at WCHS, expects nothing but continued success for this high-achieving young man.

“Luke is the most gifted student I have ever had the pleasure of teaching,” Kirkland says. “His a ention to detail, desire for perfection, and willingness to help others have shaped him into the young man he is today. There is no doubt that Luke is deserving of every opportunity he is awarded.” |WM

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