Graduation 2019: Salisbury High School All-County Scholars
Published 12:00 am Friday, June 7, 2019
- JON C. LAKEY/SALISBURY POST The Salisbury Post all-county scholars from Salisbury high school are (from Left) Ellen Simons, Olivia Dagenhart, Roarke Burton and Lila Harry. Salisbury, NC 5/29/19
Salisbury High School’s All-County Scholars.
Roarke Burton
Roarke William Burton is the son of Scott and Melanie Burton of Salisbury. A senior at Salisbury High School, he attended Hurley Elementary School and Knox Middle School. In the fall, he plans to study chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with hopes to become a physician or general surgeon.
During high school, he lettered in cross country, swimming and tennis and served as co-president of Junior Civitan and Senior Class Treasurer.
Favorite assigned book: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee.
Defining moment of my life: Rescuing a member of my TWAM mission trip team from the Pacific Ocean, saving someone’s life.
The secret to high school success: Staying on top of things and having good time management.
If I had $10 million: If I had $10 million, I would pay off my college debt, give some to those in need, invest some for the future, and spend the rest on my family, my friends and myself.
Olivia Dagenhart
Olivia Nicole Dagenhart is the daughter of Todd and Samantha Dagenhart of Salisbury. A senior at Salisbury High School, she attended North Hills Christian School for elementary school and Sacred Heart Catholic School for middle school.
In the fall, she will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to pursue a degree in public health, specifically health policy and management. Her goal is a career as a hospital administrator.
In high school, Olivia played varsity soccer and cheered all four years and served as student body vice president, National Honors Society president and Junior Civitan vice president.
Favorite assigned book: “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte.
Defining moment in my life: A defining moment in my life was transitioning from private to public school at the start of freshman year. Looking back, I feel that it was a valuable decision and has truly prepared me for life beyond high school.
The secret to high school success: The secret to my high school success was pushing myself to reach new heights and consistently putting in time and effort to be the best I can be. I’ve realized that it is so important to lighten up and not take everything too seriously; some things are out of our control and the smartest thing we can do is adapt and remain positive. Keeping a smile on my face and finding the good in each new challenge helps me to stay determined and stick to my goals. On top of that, the constant support from my family and close friends has always kept me going.
If I had $10 million: If I had $10 million, I would use some of it to attend graduate school at the University of Queensland in Australia. Then, I would invest the majority, help any family members or friends in need of financial assistance, and travel to some of the places on my bucket list. Lastly, with it costing approximately $2 million a day to run St. Jude’s, I would donate this amount to support their cutting-edge research and unwavering care for patients and families.
Lila Harry
Lila Quinn Harry is the daughter of Kevin and Laurel Harry of Salisbury. A senior at Salisbury High School, she attended Blue Valley School in Costa Rica and Salisbury Academy. She will attend Appalachian State University in the fall and major in psychology, with hopes to study developmental psychology and start her own practice.
During high school, she played varsity volleyball and varsity soccer for four years and served as treasurer for the Junior Civitans Club and Interact Club and was class treasurer her sophomore year.
Favorite assigned book: “The Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver
Defining moment in my life: A defining moment in my life was when I finally made the decision to go to Appalachian State University after months of indecision.
The secret to high school success: The secrets to my high school success have been using the “stickies” app on my laptop to keep track of all of my work and not leaving all of my work to the last minute.
If I had $10 million: If I had $10 million, I would help fund research to prevent global warming and save our oceans.
Ellen Simons
Ellen Frances Simons is the daughter of George and Georgia Simons of Salisbury. A senior at Salisbury High School, she attended Hurley Elementary School and Salisbury Academy. In the fall, she will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to major in business administration with hopes to become a management consultant.
She lettered in varsity soccer, varsity cross country and varsity indoor track and was the vice president of Key Club and Social Chair of the Salisbury Youth Council.
Favorite assigned book: “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Defining moment of my life: When I was accepted into UNC-Chapel Hill because it meant that my countless hours of school, sports, clubs and volunteer opportunities were worthwhile.
The secret to high school success: I found the perfect balance between work and play by enjoying all that high school had to offer without losing sight of my academic aspirations.
If I had $10 million: I would invest a majority of it back into the community and the children of Rowan County. I would also pay my college education and help my family members with any outstanding payments.