Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 2, 1994 TAG: 9406020157
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BETSY BIESENBACH STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Last January, for instance, she saw a dying coral reef off the coast of Florida and decided she wanted to find out what was wrong. Five months later, she talks about coral and algae and their life cycles like an old pro. Her research on the subject for her science fair project was so good it earned her a trip to the International Science Fair in Birmingham, Ala., where she came in fourth out of 65 contestants in the zoology category. There were more than 900 entrants from all over the world, she said.
She also is president of the senior class, on the board of the SCA and edits and produces a closed-circuit television news show twice a week for the student body and was on the prom committee.
She was one of only two girls on the school's tennis team, but gave it up when competing against the boys, who were bigger and stronger, got to be too much. "It was kind of tough," she said.
She works as a lifeguard and swimming coach during the summer, and once tried to do it during the school year as well, but had to give that up, too.
"I've always been an over-achiever," said Patterson, who considers a B a bad grade. "I like to do it all."
Patterson's mother is a counselor at Roanoke's Jackson Middle School, and her stepfather is the director of food service at Hollins College.
"I sort of grew up at Hollins," she said. She was allowed to conduct her research there under the guidance of professor Harriett Gray.
Getting to the International Science Fair took "a lot of hard work," she said. Some of the entrants had been working on their projects for several years, while Patterson had been working on hers only a few months.
Patterson is just one of several outstanding students in a class that guidance counselor Cheryl Campbell described as "amazing."
There are more outstanding seniors this year than ever before, she said, and the students have excelled in every category.
Ten students have grade-point averages over 4.0, and two students, Ashley Moore and Jenny Gates, have been awarded basketball scholarships.
Another student, Christy Patterson, will be Lord Botetourt's first graduate to attend Harvard University.
"There are a lot of excellent students in our class," Amy Patterson said. She will go to the University of Virginia in the fall, where she will major in biology. She hopes to be admitted to the pre-med program and wants to specialize in emergency medicine.
All but $2,000 of her tuition is being paid through federal grants she has won.
by CNB