Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 8, 1995 TAG: 9506090007
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-23 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARY JO SHANNON SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Travis Andrews, who has been accepted into the Marine Corps and has already attended preliminary meetings, is the only one of the 38 graduates who will not be attending college in the fall. The other 37 will be scattered among colleges and universities throughout the country. But they are a close-knit group and treasure this closeness as they reflect on their senior year.
"Most of us have been together since kindergarten," said class president Robin Journell. "The songs we chose for graduation are ones we have sung together since 10th grade."
Journell will attend Virginia Western Community College for the first two years, then hopes to transfer to Radford University, where she will major in English. She also hopes to become qualified to coach basketball.
April Updike has attended RVCS since age three. Her mother teaches biology and Earth science, so, even as a pre-schooler, April spent extra time at the school.
"My mother was my science teacher," Updike said, "but she treated me just like any other student. My dad was the one I went to if I needed help with homework, so there would be no question of favoritism."
Updike is already headed toward a medical career. Beginning as a volunteer in a physician's office last summer, she was offered paid employment during spring break and this summer.
In September, Updike will enter the pre-med program at Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C. She plans to attend medical college somewhere in Virginia.
For Jeremy Laughon, the most significant difference in attending RVCS was the influence of Christian teachers and administrators. Laughon, who works part-time at Food Lion, will be attending Roanoke College next year. He is considering a career in business.
The highlight of the senior year for most of the class was the annual senior class trip to Schroon Lake, N.Y., followed by a visit to New York City. Almost the entire class participated.
The annual gathering at the Schroon Lake resort center, held this year from Feb. 26 to March 3, is sponsored by Word of Life, a Christian organization. Seniors from Christian schools throughout the United States attend the conference, which Journell describes as inspirational and valuable for "helping us make decisions about what we will do with our lives."
According to Roanoke Valley Christian School principal A.C. Hollins, the occasion enables students "to meet like-minded people from a wide geographical area." Friendships have evolved that, in some instances, continue long after high school graduation.
Miriam Long has continued correspondence with David Allman, a young man from Fairfax whom she met at Schroon Lake. He will attend the Junior-Senior banquet at RVCS this year.
by CNB