Weldon seniors select colleges

By Roger Bell, The Daily Herald

May 22, 2010

WELDON — Students cheered, the band played and seniors took one more step forward in life as Weldon STEM High School held their second annual Decision Day Thursday in the school’s gym.

Decision Day, where college-bound seniors announce their choice of school, brought the student body to celebrate the achievements of the graduating seniors and to give the underclassmen a goal for which to strive.

However, before the seniors could take the next step, they heard from guest speaker Antonio Pettigrew, the sprint and hurdle coach for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Track team. Pettigrew stressed the importance of keeping focused in college.

“I would like to tell you a little bit about college,” Pettigrew said. “College is made by the path you take through it. To the right, you have those who want to attend every sporting event, go to the parties and get distracted. To the left, are people who aren’t sure they want to be there and wonder if they can endure four years. If you take the straight path, right down the middle, it will lead you right to your goal.”

“You can be anything in life you want to be,” Pettigrew added. “But it will be hard along the way. But if you just follow the path given to you here in Weldon ... it will lead you where you want to go. No matter who tells you that you can’t do it, stay on the straight path. It doesn’t matter which school you go to, as long as it’s a school of higher learning you will succeed in this life.”

Weldon City School Superintendent Dr. Elie Bracy III echoed Pettigrew’s message. “I think I turned out all right,” Bracy stated. “But there were a few times when I went to the left, or dipped to the right, but I always came back to the center path. You have to be able to do that, if you want to make it through college.”

“Seniors stay on the straight path,” said Weldon STEM High School Principal Lucy Edwards, touching on the same message. “Know when to attend social events and when not to. Set your goals high and work toward them and you will be successful.”

Edwards, however, had words for the underclassmen as well. “I want to say to the junior class, when you come in next year, I want you to make this serious,” Edwards said. “Make this your goal.”

Guidance Counselor Joyce Bennett also told the students to be responsible. “Make things happen for you,” Bennett said. “Keep your goals straight and make things happen.”

In all, 38 of Weldon STEM High School’s seniors were accepted to college, with a total of 76 confirmed acceptances. One student, Dwight Hunter, was accepted to eight schools and chose North Carolina Central University.

Christina Best was accepted to four schools herself, she will be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall. “I visited the college and the surrounding area,” Best said of her choice. “I think I will do very well there.”

Best stated the leadership opportunities at Weldon STEM High prepared her for life in Chapel Hill. “I’m the president of several organizations and I think it will help in my transition to UNC,” Best said.

“I was somewhat surprised,” Best said of her acceptance to such a prestigious school. “But I was very excited when I got that acceptance letter.”

Semaj Coleman, who will be attending North Carolina Central University this fall, felt Weldon STEM’s senior project got him prepared for college. “Mine was about how to develop a business,” Coleman said. “You had to have your own product, you had to have a speech and a power point presentation. I had do mine over, but I still passed.”

Of course, going away to school can cause even confident or accomplished students, like Best and Coleman, to feel apprehensive. While Best cited having to become socialized to a new environment as a source of anxiety about going to college, Coleman, who grew up in Weldon, admitted his nervousness arose from simpler roots.

“I’m just a little anxious about being away from my home town.”