Brookwood celebrates 2021 honor grads

THOMASVILLE -- 

As we near the end of the school year, Brookwood School celebrated Upper School students who have achieved the highest levels of academic success in Brookwood’s annual honors ceremony. Gathering together as a division for the first time this academic year, Upper School students and their families gathered in the Joe and Mary Beverly Athletic center to celebrate the class of 2021. Headmaster Dr. Randy Watts opened the ceremony by stating, “Honors Day is always a special day, but an extra measure of specialness is added to today as I will never take for granted the entire Upper School student body gathering together. An important lesson learned from last year is how important it is for us to be together in one space for ceremonies when we can.”

Andrew (Drew) McCarson Parker is the valedictorian for the class of 2021, having earned the highest cumulative grade point average of his classmates in their four years of high school at Brookwood. Parker will give the final speech in Brookwood’s graduation ceremony. 

 

“Drew is a very talented student,” said David Grooms, the Upper School Director. “He is an excellent writer and a very strong reader.  Drew enjoys reading books beyond the requirement to fulfill his curiosity.”

The salutatorian for the class of 2021 is Elizabeth (Lizzie) Anne Rollins. Rollins achieved the second-highest cumulative GPA among her classmates and will open the graduation ceremony by addressing her classmates, in keeping with Brookwood tradition. 

Grooms praised Rollins for her work ethic: “Lizzie Rollins is an extremely hard-working student.  She is very tenacious and is excellent at taking constructive criticism and improving on the next essay or assignment.”

In addition to the valedictorians and salutatorians of this year’s class, Brookwood honors a number of other students who also had outstanding academic performance during their high school years.

Summa Cum Laude graduates are students who have maintained at least a 4.0 grade point average for four years at Brookwood. Honorees in this year’s class include Joseph Lee Atkinson, Jackson Robert Clendenin, Joseph Fincher Davis, Mary Catherine Dodys, Benjamin Howard Filston, Kenneth Alden Harrison, Ann Murray Jackson, Abby Caroline Lee, Bradley James Merschman, Abigail Eleanor Middleton, Willard Emmett Miles, Eliza Fontaine Miller, Bailey Kate Noah, Andrew McCarson Parker, Elizabeth Anne Rollins, and Emma Madeline Szwarc.

Magna Cum Laude graduates have maintained a grade point average of at least 3.67. The honorees for the class of 2021 are John Brewer Anderson, Jack Collins Boltja, Ethan Paul Myers, Ava Faryn Parr, Justin Daniel Quinet, Sophia Sherri Thomas, William Brogdon Tinney, Andrew Callahan Walker, and Nathaniel Alvarez Yokley.

Cum Laude graduates are students who have maintained a minimum of a 3.33 grade point average. This year’s honorees are George Lynwood Arline, Jordan Suzanne Burns, Ryan Louise Gaston, Tyson Bryant Joyner, Henry Simmons Ladson, Jacob Powell Lauderdale, Erin Lynn Lewis, Joshua Lathem McCaskill, and Jessie Dianne Wortman.

“This has been a remarkable year; I am constantly reminded about the tenacity and perseverance of our students. The ability to gather together and celebrate these students’ accomplishments was wonderful. The students recognized today have challenged themselves to push toward excellence throughout their time at Brookwood,” states Headmaster Dr. Randy Watts.

Brookwood’s graduation ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 15 in the Joe and Mary Beverly Athletic Center. It will be a private ceremony where graduates, their families, and Brookwood employees will be in attendance while adhering to current health safety guidelines. Additionally, the event will be broadcasted on Livestream for those unable to attend.