FHS top academic seniors honored during 64th Annual Academic Banquet

By Jessica Vaughn
Posted 5/24/21

FOLEY - The South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce hosted the 64th Annual Academic Banquet on Thursday, May 13 at the Foley United Methodist Church. The special event honors the top achieving seniors of …

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FHS top academic seniors honored during 64th Annual Academic Banquet

Posted

FOLEY - The South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce hosted the 64th Annual Academic Banquet on Thursday, May 13 at the Foley United Methodist Church. The special event honors the top achieving seniors of Foley High School, and gives each student the chance to connect with their community. Attendees include the students, their families and friends, Baldwin County School Board members, city officials, high school staff, and the Foley High School Teacher of the Year.

The students honored during the event have taken the highest-level courses that are offered on campus and will receive their Alabama High School Diploma with Baldwin County College Preparatory Distinction Endorsement. Students have the opportunity to speak to the audience about their post-graduation plans, their greatest influences, and the most valuable lessons they learned while in high school.

“This is a community event, this is your community reaching out to you and saying, ‘great job, we appreciate your extra effort over the past four years,’ and it’s a neat thing,” said Foley High School Principal Russ Moore to the students. “You’re our future leaders, and I think the community recognizes that and respects that.”

Medals were given out to the students by Foley High School Senior Counselor Jamel Thomas and Foley High School Teacher of the Year Marjorie LoVette, 10th grade social sciences teacher.

“I’m very pleased to stand here to recognize these students who have worked incredibly hard,” said Thomas. “Not many of us can take every single or most advanced placement classes that our school offers, plus two years of foreign language, and still come out making the grades that these students have in order to be recognized tonight.”

Post-presentation, LoVette was given the opportunity to speak to the students. Weeks before the moment came she began searching for the right words to leave for the honorees, she said. Others before her have offered advice, but as the day approached she realized there wasn’t any advice she could give the students that they hadn’t already heard. Instead, she asked the students to imagine themselves on a ship, recalling memories they’ve made in school since beginning kindergarten. Now that the ships are nearing land and it’s time to pack up and embark on the next leg of their journey, LoVette told the students to think hard about what lessons and friendships to take with them, and what bitterness or regret to leave behind.

“May your knowledge turn to wisdom. May your curiosity push you to grow and grow and grow. May you find the answers to your deepest questions, and may you find something that just awes you and leaves you speechless. You’re ready. Move your tassel, dig your toes in the sand, and get to work,” LoVette said.

The Foley High School Top Academic Seniors for the 2020/21 school year are: Jeremiah Battaglia, Kathryn Blake, Erin Boutwell, Ariana Crepeau, Jordan Drake, Kathrine Faulk, Kendall Hall, Ryleigh Harrison, Noe Hawkins, Makalea Lymon, Paul Maurin, Madison Messick, Shelley Moore, Samuel Smith, and Tyler Sutton.