Congratulations to our December Student Athletes of the Month: Rachel Lopez and Eli Talley.
Rachel is a senior and a Varsity basketball player. She says, “I have played basketball, soccer, volleyball, and cross country, but the sport that I mainly play now is basketball. My dad was one of the reasons that I started playing this sport. He was a really good athlete himself, and he wanted me to try out the sport and see how it turned out. I really love this sport and enjoy it so much. At first, I was just playing this for fun and to spend time with friends. However, the more I played, the more I fell in love with basketball. My dad also inspires me to continue playing and is one of the many reasons I wanted to continue playing.” When asked about her future plans, Rachel says she wants to continue playing basketball in college and find a career where she can be comfortable.
Rachel talked about how Mrs. Hall has impacted her the most academically. “I had her for Honors Biology my sophomore year and Dual Enrollment Biology my junior year. Her class made me enjoy the subject of science which has actually had an impact on what I want to study after high school. She is such an amazing teacher who always puts her students first and always encourages them to do their very best. This is the reason she impacted me so much. She pushed me to do my very best, even when she knew I was struggling; she also taught me so well when I was in her class, and I was able to learn so much from her.”
Eli Talley is a senior member of RHS Performing Arts. When asked what motivated him to begin participating in musical theater, he said, “I saw the determination and drive of Broadway level performers and wanted to become the best actor, singer, and dancer I could be. You don’t see it on the surface but you realize how physically and emotionally challenging it is to excel in this craft when you’re on stage. When watching a show, you see a happy and bright dance number, then a scene later you’re sobbing. That’s the beauty of what we do in theater, and it’s an honor to be recognized for it.” Eli plans to attend college as a performing arts major and be acting on Broadway or on tour with a musical cast within the next five years. Eli shared that both Mrs. Ellis and Mrs. Schroder have been instrumental in his improvement and passion as a performer. “They always know exactly what to say to make you want to push forward and get better. They have a very clever way of combining ‘kindness is king’ with ‘no excuses,’ and it creates award-winning casts every year. Mrs. Ellis was named the best musical director in the state of Georgia; Mrs. Schroder was recognized as the best costume designer in the state. All of the credit goes to the directors and their hard work.”
Congratulations to both of these seniors!