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Larry G. Simonds, Jr. • Criminal Litigation • Civil Litigation • Divorce • DUI
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Andrew M. Brandt • Estate Planning • Will Packages • Trust Formation • Probate • LLC, LP, S-Corp Formation
112 Kenwood St., Belmont • 704.829.8034 • strickerlaw.com
Volume 80 • Issue 23
Serving Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
East Gaston's Harley Bourgeois is a fighter with a big smile By Alan Hodge
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Kacey Ho endeavored to persevere and excelled By Alan Hodge
alan.bannernews@gmail.com
alan.bannernews@gmail.com
The ability to face and overcome physical challenges comes in many forms and one of them is East Gaston graduating senior Harley Bourgeois. The daughter of Liz and Maj. Rich Bourgeois (East Gaston's JROTC Senior Marine Instructor), Harley has been fighting a muscular disease for two years that's had her in a wheelchair, but never down and out. The problem Harley's battling is called chronic regional pain syndrome. A poorly understood affliction, it's similar to GuillainBarre' syndrome and causes pain- Harley Bourgeois, seen with her dad Maj. Rich Bourful muscle spasms in her legs. geois, overcame some serious physical challenges to “It's hard to sleep and to con- earn her diploma from East Gaston High. centrate on everyday things,” she Photo by Alan Hodge says. But concentrate she does on her schoolwork. Despite missing many days due to her illness, Harley, with the help of her teachers who send assignments via her dad, has managed to keep her grades up and will make her June 13 graduation event- even if she can't stride across the stage, and then on to her dream of a career in health care helping others. See HARLEY BOURGEOIS page 9
On June 13, South Point High senior Kacey Ho will march a few hundred feet into Lineberger Stadium and mount the stage to receive her diploma- but the story of that day actually began over 9,000 miles away. A native of Vietnam, Ho came to the U.S. in 2001 when she was just four years old and settled in Charlotte with her parents Tin and Hanh Ho. “My grandpa worked for the U.S. during the Vietnam War and he was already here,” she said. “He helped us come.” At first, Kacey had a bit of culture shock to deal with. “I didn't know how to speak Eng- South Point grad Kacey Ho is a native of Vietnam lish,” she said. “It was a big chal- who came to the U.S. at four years of age. She says America is a place where anyone can excel as she lenge, but I tried to persevere.” When she was in sixth grade, has if they work hard. Photo by Alan Hodge Kacey and her folks moved to Belmont. “I love the small town feel,” she says. She likes South Point too. “I love Friday night football and all the teachers who will help students study or work on a project,” Ho says. “In middle school I tried to fit in, but at South Point I started to discover myself.” See KACEY HO page 12
East Gaston's Tyler Rapp swam his way to the top of his class
South Point twins never miss a beat or a day
By Alan Hodge
By Alan Hodge
alan.bannernews@gmail.com
alan.bannernews@gmail.com
You might say that East Gaston High valedictorian and soon to graduate senior Tyler Rapp found himself, literally and figuratively, in a swimming pool. According to Rapp, the son of Nikki and Michael Rapp, he entered East Gaston as a self-conscious, shy, and overweight kid, but after joining the swim team, began to blossom. “I was timid at first,” he says. “But by swimming I lost sixty pounds and that triggered my confidence.” Rapp's hard work in the class- East Gaston Valedictorian Tyler Rapp was awarded a room at East Gaston earned him Levine Scholarship and plans on becoming a doctor. some heavy hitting scholarship Photo by Alan Hodge offers. One was the Levine Scholarship at UNC-Charlotte and the other the Park Scholarship at NC State. After much thought, he decided on the Levine deal- worth a handsome $105,000. See TYLER RAPP page 9
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Mom! My stomach hurts so I think I'll miss school today! Mom! I think I'll skip school today I've got a headache! Mom! I need to stay home from school I've got a sore throat! Cries like that have been heard for generations by the parents of school kids, but they've never come from the lips of South Point High twins Samantha and Philip Telsrow because, amazingly, neither one of them has missed a day of school in 12 years. Samantha's record of perfect attendance goes back 13 years if you include kindergarten- Philip missed one whole day of that grade. Born on May 22 , 1997, and the Samantha and Philip Telsrow are graduating from kids of Sharon and Robert Telsrow, South Point High. They have 25 years of perfect Samantha and Philip are set to gradu- school attendance between them. Photo by Alan Hodge ate with the rest of their class in Lineberger Stadium on June 13. The pair's perfect attendance is part of a plan. See SAMANTHA AND PHILIP TELSROW page 12
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