ROCKINGHAM – As instructors in America’s modern education system, the teachers of Richmond County Schools strive each day to prepare their students to become productive members of a 21st century society. Whether it is a four-year university, a technical college, an entrance into the job force or a career in the military, preparation for a life after high school is a priority for teachers from kindergarten to high school.
By taking a look at acceptance letters received by members of the Richmond Senior High School graduating class of 2018, it would seem that the school district is achieving just that.
With more and more local seniors receiving acceptance letters every day, the already impressive number of college bound kids just keeps growing. Perhaps what’s most impressive though, is the overall percentage of these students who are being accepted into top-notch college institutions.
One such student is Mackenzie Webb who will be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she will major in the radiologic science program.
Growing up, Webb’s dream was always to one day attend UNC. Falling further in love with the idea after each visit, filling out an application to the prestigious institution was a no brainer.
“I was with my dad when I opened my admissions decision and I read the first couple words of ‘we are pleased to...’, and I just kind of burst into tears and hugged my dad because in that moment, my dreams had become reality and it all sort of hit me at once” recounted Webb.
Her tears of joy were followed by screams of excitement and the satisfying process of notifying all of her closest family and friends.
Such a successful admissions decision would not have been possible for Webb had it not been for the experiences she has had as a student at Richmond.
“I’ve taken honors, AP, and RichmondCC classes my entire high school academic career,” stated Webb. “I feel like this rigorous course load has taught me to be organized and not procrastinate, and left me with the skills to help me be successful in college.”
And as she works to balance her studies in radiology with a social life full of UNC sporting events, club volleyball and other organizations, it is no doubt that such qualities will only help to propel her forward.
Webb’s current classmate, Destiny Buie, has also been accepted into a nationally-ranked college institution. She will soon be rooming in Raleigh, as Buie has chosen to follow the pack to rival school North Carolina State University.
“I didn’t think it was real,” Buie recalled when asked about the moment she first realized she had been accepted. “It took the NC State website over an hour to load before I found my admission decision. So, when it finally loaded, I didn’t think it was real.”
With plans to pursue a degree in zoology or animal sciences, and work her way towards becoming a veterinarian, attending an institution like NC State was her No. 1 goal.
“I wanted to attend NC State because not only are they the only school in North Carolina that has a vet program, but they are also top three in the US for vet school,” Buie explained.
Buie, like Webb, also credits part of her college acceptance to the lessons and experiences she has had throughout her time in Richmond County Schools.
“Richmond Senior has prepared me for my college career by allowing me to intern at a vets’ office for one of my class periods and take college courses throughout my high school career,” she said.
Both Webb and Buie were named The Official Richmond County Female Athlete of the Week in the fall for volleyball and tennis, respectively. Both are also members of Richmond’s National Beta Club and National Honors Society, and are ranked in their class’ top 15 students academically (Webb, 2; Buie, 13).
Joining Buie at NC State is Ellerbe native and Richmond County Early College student Coleman Berry.
Growing up within the world of agriculture, attending NC State has always been a lifelong goal for Berry. And after attending the college campus last summer for two academic camps, applying to the university was something he didn’t have to give a second thought.
“They showed us all of the departments, and I really liked the food science and the poultry sciences departments,” Berry noted. “That was the selling point for me.”
A short time thereafter, an application was submitted for his entrance into the university’s poultry science department.
Weeks of waiting passed before Berry was finally notified via Tweet that the admissions decisions were made and could be accessed from their online portal.
“It took about two hours for the site to load that night because there were so many people trying to log on at once,” Berry recalled. “So, when I finally got through and saw that I had gotten in, that weight was lifted off of me and it felt pretty good.”
A soon-to-be graduate from the Early College, Berry feels confident that his high school experience has also prepared him for the transition to a major college like NC State in more ways than one.
Aside from the early exposure to what a college class and campus feel like, Berry commented that, “those two years have helped me to save a lot of money by getting those two years of classes free, and now I’m actually able to graduate in four years instead of five years.
“I was able to knock out some of the electives and a lot of classes that would transfer,” elaborated Berry. “That leaves me with only a few science classes that I’ll have to take, along with any degree-specific classes.”
An opportunity to begin his time at NC State with such a tremendous transcript is certainly an advantage that is found in few other places.
The educational successes of students like Berry, Buie and Webb are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to RCS’ college-bound kids, as dozens of others, including classmate Dante Miller (who will attend Columbia University), are finalizing plans for their first semester of college. Their admission into such highly noted institutions as UNC Chapel Hill and NC State speak volumes to the quality of the education provided in the county, and indicate that the future if rich for Richmond’s Raiders.
