Academic All-Stars-5633

Published March 14, 2014

This award is given to students who exhibit a positive attitude and a commitment to excellence in the classroom. Each Academic All-Star is chosen by his or her principal and receives a certificate, a $10 gift card to Sonic Drive-In and a free gift courtesy of Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More in Franklin.

Oak View Elementary - Reagan Davy

Oak View Elementary School fifth grader Reagan Davy demonstrates a quiet leadership among her classmates. Her hard work and encouraging nature led administrators and staff at Oak View to select her as the school's Academic All-Star.

“Reagan was chosen for this honor because of her willingness to always do her best and inspire other students to do the same,” said Principal Dr. Tom Morris. “Reagan assists her peers and always has a positive attitude.”

Reagan is a seasoned Oak View Owl, having attended the school since kindergarten. She says all the teachers at Oak View are nice; however she enjoys one class in particular.

"My favorite subject is probably science," said Reagan. "I like it because we get to do experiments in class and see how different things react to each other."

Outside of school, Reagan enjoys doing arts and crafts at home with her family. She also likes being around children which explains why she wants to be a pediatric nurse when she grows up. In the meantime, Reagan vows to continue working hard in the classroom and doing her best every day.

"I think it's important to do well in school," said Reagan. "When you go to get a job, they will look back to see how you've done in the past."

Page High - Luke Sigmon

Page High School senior Luke Sigmon is living proof that hard work pays off. After months of studying, Luke recently raised his ACT score by four points.

That determination did not go unnoticed by Page High School administrators and staff, who selected Luke as their Academic All-Star for the 2013-14 school year.

Luke says he owes much of his success to the teachers at Page High. "I like the teachers here because they're committed to helping each and every student, no matter the age or grade," said Luke. "My two favorite classes are history and media."

Luke admits he hasn't always been an ideal student but says he now understands what it takes to improve.

"When I was younger I used to get in a ton of trouble, and I didn't care about school," said Luke. "Now I know I need to pay attention so I can graduate from high school because I want to have a future, get a job and have a family."

Outside of school, Luke likes to do typical teenager stuff like hang out with friends, watch movies and play golf. He says he may want to have a job some day in the media industry.

"My teacher, Mr. Flowers, really got me interested in media," said Luke. "I'm always learning new stuff, and it's something I like."

Summit High - T'Darius Blue

Hardworking and kind-hearted. Those are two adjectives teachers often use when describing 18 year-old T'Darius Blue. So it's no surprise that T'Darius, who's known as TD, was recently chosen as the school's Academic All-Star.

"TD is just an awesome kid," said Principal Dr. Charles Farmer. "He is always smiling; always respectful. TD exemplifies the kind of personality we all should strive to achieve. I’m proud he is an ambassador for Summit High School."

TD transferred to Summit High his junior year. Although he was initially nervous about attending a new school, TD says couldn't be happier with the results.

"I love the teachers and the atmosphere here at Summit," said TD. "To be honest, I never liked coming to school, but when I got to Summit everything changed. I've never wanted to miss a day, even when I'm sick. I just love being in school."

TD's favorite subject is English. When he's not in school, you can find him playing basketball, baseball or working at the Longview Recreation Center. TD says he's not entirely sure what he'll do after graduation, but he's ready to tackle whatever challenges come his way.

"Once we graduate, we have to grow up," said TD. "We have to get jobs and work for what we want instead of it being given to us."

This isn't the first time TD has won an award for his hard work and impressive attitude. He also received the Calvin Jenks Memorial Award which is given to a Columbia American Little League baseball player who most exemplifies desire, hustle, attitude and sportsmanship in the game of baseball.

As for being named an Academic All-Star, TD says he's both thrilled and humbled to know the teachers and administrators at Summit think so highly of him.

"It's amazing," said TD. "My heart is filled with joy right now. It's a privilege."