March Student of the Month: Delaney Unger

by Ozzie Hall

Newfield High School’s March Student of the Month is Delaney Unger. Delaney is involved in three different honor societies at Newfield--National Honor Society, Tri-M Honor Society, and Spanish Honor Society. She is also on the Varsity Kickline team. She is equally well-rounded in and out of school. Outside of school, she is a competitive dancer and has experience as a student teacher at her studio. She volunteers with Girl Scouts and has created her own non-profit, the LiveLikeLaney Foundation; a non-profit for kids and families fighting childhood cancer. Having survived childhood cancer herself, this experience has shaped her life significantly.

Despite her experiences, she’s still a typical teenager. If her involvement within the community doesn’t prove that, her love for her family can She cites her twin brother, Cameron, as an inspiration to her, saying, “When he puts his mind to something he does everything in his power to work hard to achieve it, which I admire a lot. He makes sure to get involved with everything he can while still maintaining all A’s. No matter what he has always been there for me and I will always look up to the person he has become.”

Delaney’s compassionate spirit towards the people she cares about the most will help her as she moves beyond high school. She has committed to the University of South Carolina as a public health specialist. Her goal with this degree is to become a child life specialist. (Child Life Specialists work with pediatric patients in hospitals to help them understand procedures and diagnoses, as well as assisting them to become accustomed to long-term hospital stays.) Delaney states that she wants to help hospitalized kids just like she was helped in the past. As she prepares for the Class of 2023’s fast-approaching graduation, she offers some wisdom to lower classmen She advises getting involved within the school and making memories with teachers and friends. “I know it can get stressful at times with the workload and grades but, it will all be worth it in the end so try to have some fun along the way!”