Academic All-Star – Summit High

Published March 31, 2016

The Academic All-Star 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 framed certificate, coupons to Sonic Drive-In and a free gift courtesy of Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More in Franklin.

Perseverance. That’s what got 18-year-old Karlie Harris into the college of her choice. It also earned her the recognition of being Summit High School’s Academic All-Star for the 2015-16 school year.

Karlie didn’t start her high school career at Summit; she transferred to the school during her sophomore year. Since arriving at SHS, administrators say Karlie has been motivated by a desire to further her education.

“Karlie has worked so hard this year to bring up her ACT score and has now been accepted into Austin Peay State University,” said SHS Principal Sarah Lamb. “She never gave up pursuing her dream of attending a four-year college.”

When reflecting upon her time at Summit High, she says there are two things that she will miss the most.

“I enjoyed playing basketball my sophomore year,” said Karlie. “I also really liked my U.S. History class, which I took last year. I like to learn about the wars.”

When she’s not at school, Karlie can typically be found working at Cracker Barrel or hanging out with friends and family.

Although her job takes up a lot of her time, Karlie has worked hard this year to keep her grades up in order to get into college, where she plans to major in psychology and minor in criminal justice.

“I’ve always liked helping people, so I think I might like to be a counselor,” said Karlie. “I have also thought about going into foster care and be a case worker.”

With her grandma and her mom encouraging her, Karlie says she’s excited to finish high school and begin the next phase of her life.

“I’ve heard college is a different experience, so I want to try it,” said Karlie. “It seems like fun, especially if I’m studying a topic or subject I’m interested in.”