At the end of the school year high school leaders in the Cobb County School District round up stories of what they call “inspiring seniors” to highlight around graduation.
These students “stand out for their remarkable stories of perseverance, resilience, and achievement,” according to the district, and a number of them have overcome health obstacles and other hardships, or are recognized for their accomplishments in school and service to others in the community.
The Cobb school district provided information on “inspiring seniors” from every high school, and summaries of those students from schools in East Cobb, Class of 2024, are included below.
Kell High School
Vanessa Washington played volleyball and was the yearbook editor, and in the classroom took multiple literature and writing classes. She has committed to play volleyball at the University of North Dakota and will be majoring in journalism.
Washington’s classmate, Ricky Solorzano, was a starting pitcher for the Kell varsity baseball team and assisted the school’s football and baseball athletic trainers. He has overcome learning challenges in his academic career, and according to school leaders, “puts in the extra hours, those optional hours not required by any individual, towards his learning and future.”
Solarzano’s mother is a Cobb elementary school teacher and “is an excellent representation of the CCSD mission statement of what it looks like to work as a team towards a goal for student success.” He plans to attend Andrew College in Cuthbert, Ga. next year on a baseball scholarship and to study health and exercise science.
Lassiter High School
Kiara Evans will attend the University of Pittsburgh and was selected as a Chancellor’s Scholar for that research university. At Lassiter, she was involved in varsity basketball, being named an honorable mention selection for the All-Cobb County team, and track and field.
Samantha Marcus battled and overcame leukemia during high school while maintaining academic success with a rigorous AP schedule and earning a 4.45 GPA. She is involved in the Lassiter community and “a source of great pride for Trojan Nation,” according to school leaders.
Pope High School
Sebastian Torres Urzua came to Pope in 10th grade from his native Mexico, and not only learned English fluently, but also taught himself several programming languages – Python, Java, HTML, CSS, and Arduino. “Sebastian has the chops for a highly rigorous higher education and I’m excited to see how he succeeds in the future,” school leaders said.
At Pope, he played varsity tennis and “takes seriously all the activities he takes part in and puts full effort into those things.” His plans include majoring in industrial engineering and working in operations in the corporate world.
Sprayberry High School
Jordan Tolliver, the school’s Class of 2024 salutatorian, started the school year undergoing an emergency appendectomy and had complications with the surgery. “We were unsure if Jordan would be able to keep up with his course load of all AP classes or if he would be able to return to school at all with the recovery from the surgeries,” school leaders said.
Tolliver earned all A’s when he returned to school, and is headed to the University of Pennsylvania.
Walton High School
Jennifer He was a finalist for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars as a senior, and will be attending Princeton University in the fall. Her last year at Walton included a variety of volunteer activities, including a role providing school supplies to homeless youth. For those efforts, she was awarded a scholarship by the East Cobb County Council of Parent Teacher Association. Her other scholarships include the 2024 InspirASIAN National and Doris L. Kays NJCL scholarships.
Wheeler High School
Jay Imperatori was awarded one of Georgia Tech’s elite Stamps President’s Scholarships, awarded to the most promising students from across the nation to foster their development as scholars, leaders, and citizens of the greater community through purposeful programming, mentoring, and enhanced educational opportunities.
Marlon Louie endured the loss of his father and the school’s band director within a few weeks, and “has exemplified unwavering strength and optimism, inspiring all who know him,” school leaders said. In addition to music, Louie is involved in drama activities and a math teacher said he “continued to radiate positivity towards his peers and teachers.” According to his drama director, Nicholas Morrett, Louie demonstrated “boundless energy and unwavering positivity.”
Alex Morrisette was told that he would not be able to graduate. He has attended four different schools during his high school career. He took six classes this year and was able to graduate on time, with plans to enlist in the Air Force.
Addison Kowall “excels in everything that she does, a Wheeler teacher said. “She is an incredible dancer, student and friends. She lost her father at a young age, but she remains positive. She loves teaching dance to young students at Rhythm Dance Center.”
Related:
- Cobb school students named Kiwanis ‘Silver Pen’ award winners
- Cobb schools announce 2024 valedictorians and salutatorians
- Mt. Bethel ES, East Side ES students win youth essay contest
- New principals named at Walton HS, Simpson MS. Murdock ES
- Cobb school board approves FY 2025 budget with raises
- Simpson MS student earns National PTA award for film
- East Cobb PTA names 2024 Margie Hatfield scholarship winners
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