PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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When Theresa “Chantel” Boney attended the Alcovy High School celebration for its top 10 graduates, for a while, the Alcovy senior was just enjoying the countdown.
“I knew I’d probably like top five in the class because I’d talked with my counselor recently,” Boney said. “Maybe I’d be ranked No. 2 or drop down to No. 3, but that’s all I was thinking.”
The top 10 academic achievers at Alcovy were being named for recognition and applause in descending order, starting at No. 10 and counting down from there. By the time the count got past No. 3 and Boney’s name had yet to be called, she was thinking her prediction about being second in the class was about to come true.
Then, No. 2 was called. And it wasn’t Boney. But when her name was
called as tops in her class, well, the moisture from her eyes told the story. “I just started crying tears of joy,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it was happening for me. It just means that hard work pays off.”
To be sure, Boney has always been a top academic student who intentionally put herself in positions to be stiffly challenged in the classroom. But even she’ll acknowledge that being valedictorian was never on her radar.
“When I started high school, I wanted to be an honor graduate, and I knew I could do that,” Boney said. “I knew it because of the rigorous classes I took in middle school to prepare me, and even taking some high school level classes in middle school. And as we got closer to the end of my junior year, I knew my grade point average was high, so I
Hard work, balance a common theme for area’s Class of 2023 valedictorians
Valedictorian was not on Boney’s original list of desired accomplishmentsALCOVY HIGH SCHOOL EASTSIDE HIGH SCHOOL NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CIRCLE HIGH SCHOOL
figured I had a good chance to finish top 10, but I never thought I would accomplish this.”
While Boney doesn’t yet know her final GPA, as year-ending grades have yet to be completed, she does know that it’ll be above a 4.0. But it’s not just all classroom and books for her. The Alcovy grad-to-be has prided herself on being a well-rounded individual.
Aside from her academic prowess, Boney was the captain of Alcovy’s swim team over the last two years. She was a national semifinalist for Genes in Space, which is a global science competition inviting middle and high school students to propose DNA experiments that address a space exploration problem. She was a leading officer in the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) club, and she’s also Nocti Certified in biotechnology. `
No wonder, then, that the two biotech classes she took while in the Newton College and Career Academy’s STEM program, were her favorites over the last four years.
It’s all prepared her all for her next chapter, which includes attending Louisiana State University in the fall and majoring in animal science.
“LSU was one of the first schools I toured, and they invited me out for a scholarship,” she said. “I earned a scholarship early and after being accepted, I received more scholarship money, and that’s what really made me choose that school.”
Another factor is the distance. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is about 560 miles from Covington — an eight
hour car ride — and that’s just far enough for Boney to scratch her itch for discovering what’s beyond her own backyard.
“I definitely I like the distance, and I wanted to choose a school that was far enough away for me to be able to explore a little bit,” she said. “I’ll be back for Christmas, but I’m definitely excited to go and explore and see what’s out there.”
Boney said a big lesson learned from her high school successes is figuring out how to cope with stress. “Sometimes, I forget how much I do in school and outside of school,” she said. “I learned that you have to manage stress and sometimes things did get stressful when you’ve got tests and assignments and so many things due at the same time.”
But her message of advice and encouragement to any students coming behind her would be to work hard at conquering the stress early.
“Ask for help and don’t stress too much,” she said. “Sometimes it’s okay to stop and take a break and let people know that you need a little help.”
For her, her biggest support system was her family, and she says she’ll always appreciate and love them for it, and she expects that support to remain even as she goes away for college.
“My parents never really stressed that I had to get all A’s,” she said. “But they always would say, ‘do your very best, and do as good as you can and be as good as you can be.’ So with them, any time I was struggling, even if they couldn’t help me, they’d find someone who could.”
At the beginning of her time at Eastside High School, Kianya James entered with high expectations for herself. But she never aspired for claiming the top spot in her graduating class.
Nevertheless, James acknowledges that it was her personal drive that resulted in her being the class of 2023’s valedictorian.
“I put my all into doing my best, and I also took as many additional classes as I could because I enjoyed the results it gave me,” James said. “Family and friends always encouraged me to pursue being valedictorian, but I knew that no matter my rank, I would still make my supporters and myself proud.”
James remained focused on her hard work so much that, when the announcement came, she was “pleasantly surprised.”
“I was a bit stunned at first, but I just couldn’t stop smiling when I heard all my friends cheering for me,” James said. “Earning this title has really made me see just how many people have been rooting for me.”
Throughout James’ time as an Eastside student, she
has been greatly involved in extracurricular activities. She has participated in The Pride of Eastside marching band — James has been the saxophone section leader since her sophomore year — the concert band, the Eastside Emeralds Step Team, Drama Team and the Oxford Acting Company. Additionally, James has been a member of the Beta Club, Key Club, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Math Team and the National Honor Society.
On top of all that involvement outside of the classroom, James has also taken on dual enrollment classes at Georgia State’s Newton County campus as well as many advanced placement courses.
With all of this experience, James says she feels ready for college.
“Attending Eastside has prepared me for college in many ways,” James said. “We have amazing AP teachers who have elevated my education and brought me to where I am today. Because of the scores I made on my tests, I am able to start off college with credits and experience. Dual Enrollment has given me the chance to interact with college students and grow accustomed to the nature of a college class environment.”
Next up for James is going to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She plans to major in graphic design with a minor in computer science.
Her long-term career goals are to become a website designer or an advertisement designer to work on global projects.
But James’ graduation from Eastside High will be a bittersweet occasion.
“I will definitely miss all of my friends. None of my friends are heading to Ohio, so it will be a whole new experience for me,” James said. “Spending time with my friends during high school has been a joy that is impossible to equate to words. I’ll definitely be keeping in touch with everyone in Covington, but I’ll miss all of the time we spent together.” And, though she will miss many people once she moves nearly 600 miles away, James has great anticipation for what this new chapter holds for her.
“I am excited to meet new people and explore the world. I hope to study abroad and pursue what makes me happy,” James said. “I am so grateful to have the chance to achieve my dreams. I’m a bit nervous, but I know this is the right step, and I am excited to use the skills I’ve gained as I advance in my education.”
Dhakiya Knights’ dream began in middle school. That was when she began thinking about finishing as her high school’s valedictorian one day.
“I first started taking high school classes in middle school, and I remained mindful that what I did could impact me in my senior year in high school,” Knights said.
But while that specific goal was birthed somewhere around the sixth and seventh grade, Knights says she’s wanted to be a high achiever since even before middle school days.
“My desire to achieve at a high level in the classroom began in elementary school,” she said. “I was shy, but I found confidence in my academic performance. The classroom was where I could shine, so I always felt the need to give it my all. As I got older, that naturally progressed into a competitive spirit, so when I first heard about valedictorians, I thought, ‘why not try to perform at my best and see what I can achieve when I set my mind to it?’”
Here’s just a bit of what she’s accomplished: Newton High star student, Second Honors at the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair, Georgia Scholar, Emory University NextGen Intern, certified biotechnician assistant, Governor’s Honor’s Program Communicative Arts Finalist, College Board National African American Recognition Program Scholar and Biotechnology and allied health and medicine pathway completion.
And that’s just to name a few.
Knights will graduate from Newton High School and the Newton College and Career Academy’s STEM Institute later in May and will go on to attend Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. She says her college decision taught her a lot about herself and helped clarify her future aspirations.
“Making this [college] selection took much introspection,”
Class of 2023
Knights said. “I decided to select a university where I would be comfortable yet challenged while preparing for my life after college. Bulldog Days at Yale ultimately led me to my decision. During those three days in New Haven, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and between events, I spent a generous amount of time walking and thinking.”
Now, she realizes that she’s left a path for other students coming up behind her to follow. With that comes a desire to leave behind some advice that she found helpful over the last four years. One piece of advice is finding a strong support system.
“The support from my family has helped me tremendously,” she said. “They make it a priority to grand me any resource within their means to achieve my educational goals. They provided emotional support too. I sometimes got carried away with work and deadlines, leading to me getting overwhelmed. Whenever that I happened, I knew I had my immediate and extended family to lean on.” She also encourages students to dream big but also find time to take time for themselves.
“Have a plan of what you want for your high school experience, but don’t be afraid to stray from it,” she said. “There’s so much more to high school than resumes and accolades. Find a supportive community that will push you, join activies you love, and most importantly, take breaks. Those four years will go by quickly without you having to rush through it.”
Kelan Joiner has been a busy, involved student the past four years at Social Circle High School. All of his efforts inside and outside of the classroom culminated in Joiner earning his class’ highest honor of valedictorian. It’s a recognition Joiner doesn’t take lightly.
“I am very honored and humbled to represent our school,” Joiner said. “We have many high achieving students at Social Circle, so to receive this award means a lot to me.”
In addition to his coursework, Joiner was heavily involved in extracurricular activities. He threw the shot put and discus for the Redskins’ track and field team and was a videographer for the football team. Joiner also has been a member of Beta Club, Future Farmers of America and the National Honor Society as well as participated in Youth Leadership Walton — an organization through Walton County’s Chamber of Commerce.
Not only has he taken on various extracurricular projects, but Joiner also has enrolled in advanced placement courses while in high school.
He pointed to those courses as a good standard to observe for what college work may be like.
“I’ve had fantastic teachers who did an amazing job instructing and encouraging us,” Joiner said. “I think the rigor of our AP classes has prepared me for college level work.”
But many of his top moments from the past four years come from his work away from the books.
“Some of my favorites include competing at track meets, being at our football playoff game that we won in overtime last season, learning to weld in AG Mechanics and French class,” Joiner said.
That is why Joiner shared that he will miss Friday night football games, track and field meets, weight lifting classes and, generally, hanging out with his friends after high school graduation.
Social Circle High’s graduation is set for Friday, May 26 at Redskins Stadium. After Joiner walks across the stage, he will be attending Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, to study engineering and business administration.
One day after completing his college coursework, Joiner aspires to do several years of consulting work and then start his own engineering firm.
More than that, Joiner is excited about all of the possibilities his next chapter has to offer.
“[I look forward to] pursuing my interests, developing new friendships and discovering exciting opportunities while at college,” Joiner said.
Deja Hooks
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Camron Lewis Sydney Mapp
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May your journey ahead be filled with learning, growth, and a lifetime of love and laughter!
"May He give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed."
~Psalm 20:4Jaden Mitchell Brendon Mends Mekhi Moore Dedrick Murphy Jakai Newton Anamaria Orozco Figueroa David Parrish Shamani Mitchell Autumn Meredith Eileen Moreno Joniyah Nash Syze Odum Isel Padron Aron Patterson Kam Javaughn Montaque Taccara Mims Jene Moore Gracie Mitchell Jasmin Moreno Devyn Morris Jade Neal Alicia Newton Munira Oladapo Naturi Oliphant Asia Page Elijah Pendleton Lorenzo Palmer Ashton Pennamon
Valedictorian: Kelan Joiner | Salutatorian: Neely Flanagan
Stetson Evans
Ashley Garcia
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Neely Flanagan
Jaxon Garrett
Dalton Forester
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Ryleigh Fox
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Alisha Kittrell
Mason Moore
Cara Mayfield
Caleb Ray
Mark Schiavoni
Joshua T Teat Jr
Lexie Starnes
Remeria Vinson
Austin Wilbanks
Emma Sharpe
Ciara Temple
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Jason Walker
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Madison Wertz
Cameron Wood
Madalyn Spinks
Ansley Vier
Bryce Swartout
Anna White
Jaydin Wood
Erin Stamey
Adaryll Vinson
Kacen Taylor
Valedictorian:
Devaughn Allen
Sebastian McKenzie
Addisyn Gardner
Karly Banks
Ethan Nolley
Edwin Harris
Richard Jr Bennett
Leanne Paul
Stanton Harrison
Joseph Stagemeyer
Elizabeth Brown
Bailey Riccitelli
Michael Kennon
Logan Ventling
Joel Evans
Chazz Samuels
Amber Lazarski
Fiona Wilkes
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Valedictorian: Naya Dembure | Salutatorian: Megan Gibson
Abby Arnold
Eli Dominguez
Hayden Carey
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