Local student's hard work pays off
 |
| Rockbridge County High School administrators want more students to broaden their horizons. (MONICA CHINN/The Rockbridge Report) |
Mae Humiston wants to travel the world.
Come September, she will move a little closer to making that dream a reality.
A Rockbridge County High School senior, Humiston is bound for Tufts University in Boston in the fall, where she plans to major in international relations.
Although she’s not yet sure what she will do after college, she wants it to be something that will keep her moving around the globe.
“A big goal of mine is to live in a non-English-speaking country for part of my life,” she said.
For someone who has never lived outside of Rockbridge County, such a goal might seem ambitious, but Humiston is used to tackling challenges. At RCHS, she plays soccer, runs cross-country, participates in the service club and serves as president of the student council.
And recently, Humiston was awarded the Good Citizen Medal by the Natural Bridge Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
She was nominated for the award by her teachers as a result of her academic accomplishments, which Anita McGugan, a guidance counselor at RCHS, says are part of what makes Humiston such a well-rounded student.
Humiston is a member of National Honor Society, but although McGugan describes her as one of the top students in RCHS’s senior class, Humiston was not expecting the nomination.
“I was actually kind of surprised," she said.
McGugan, who has known Humiston since her sophomore year, is not surprised at her track record so far, and sees her choice of colleges as a sign that she’ll continue to go far. She says it, too, sets Humiston apart.
"Every year we have a few students go farther away, like to Tufts, but many of our students do stay in the Virginia area," said McGugan.
Although it takes a toll on her free time, Humiston says her participation in all these activities is worth it. She especially enjoys her involvement with student council, because she likes organizing and helping other students get on track for involvement in their community.
“Mae is an ambitious humanitarian,” McGugan said, recalling an essay about life goals in which Humiston wrote that she wants to be pictured on the cover of National Geographic helping indigent people.
“In everything that she does her integrity and genuineness shine through,” said McGugan.
The Good Citizen award qualified Humiston to participate in a national scholarship contest conducted by the DAR, which comprised a timed essay and an evaluation of Humiston’s academic accomplishments. The results for the contest have not come in yet.
Humiston hopes some of her high school experiences and involvement will help her when she gets to Tufts. She is not concerned about the transition to the Northeast, and to the school where she says she might also minor in science or environmental studies.
“I’m really excited for it,” she said. “I love the mountains, but I’ll come home to them.”
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Indira Somani
Editing supervisor:
Prof. Lisa Tracy
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd