These 10 stellar Thompson High School students are set to change the world!
By Barry Wise Smith
Photos by Brit Huckabay
Eleanor DeBlock
Varsity Softball—pitcher/3rd base, signed to University of West Alabama
When did you start playing softball, and what have you learned from athletics and playing on a team that you will apply in your future?
I have been playing organized softball since I was five and playing catch since I could wear a t-ball glove. I actually played two years of soccer starting when I was four and picked up basketball in first grade. The most resounding lesson team sports has taught me is the importance of the little things. I’ve had coaches drill that phrase in my head for years. Paying attention to the minutiae during practice makes playing so much easier. The same can be said for studies and any task.
You’re also in STEM Club for Girls. What do you like about STEM, and do you plan to pursue a STEM field in college?
I have a mathematical mind, and I have thoroughly enjoyed science since I can remember. I grew up loving the outdoors and gardening, so it makes sense that my favorite subject is biology. STEM is appealing to me because my mind is just wired that way. I like how science builds on math and revolutionizes tech and engineering and the interrelatedness of these studies and how they are constantly developing together.
What are some of your other academic accomplishments and extracurricular activities?
I earned all A’s and B’s in high school in honors and AP classes. I have been on the math team since freshman year. I am a member of Rho Kappa (social studies), Mu Alpha Theta (math), National honor Society, and Beta Club. I have a 34 on the ACT.
What has been your favorite thing about your senior year?
The thing that sticks out the most is the unity of the seniors. We have really taken ownership of this year, which makes the atmosphere in class and at ball optimistic and uplifting.
What are your career goals?
After college, I plan on going into the military as an officer, and after that I want to teach and coach softball.
What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
I gardened when I was younger and recently picked it back up. I find it to be elegant, relaxing, and rewarding.
Andrea Godoy
First generation high school graduate, Youth Leadership Development Program
Your parents are Mexican. What does your Mexican heritage mean to you?
My parents are from Mexico and came to the U.S to give my siblings and I a better life. Hispanic heritage is more than tacos, dance parties, and soccer—our heritage is full of inspiring values. Family is always first. I am also incredibly grateful to have grown up speaking and learning two languages.
You are a first generation high school graduate. What does that mean for you and your family?
I am the first graduate of my family; it’s a lot of hard work and stressful at times, but I push through it. Being the first born in a Hispanic household complicates things. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been told that to have a successful career and life you have to get good grades, be an overachiever, and go to college. If I showed anything below a C on my report cards, it was frowned on, and sometimes a B wasn’t enough for my parents. Being the oldest, I’ve stayed home to take care of my three younger siblings since my parents were always working.
How do you give back to your community and family?
I consider myself to have good character for someone my age. I have friends who look up to me because I always do my work and turn it in on time, all while working right after I get out of school. I’ve also taken summer classes to advance my credits the past three summers. Although it was hard, I was able to get through it because I want to make not just my parents proud, but myself too and to be an inspiration to those around me. I hope that one day I can repay my parents for all the hard work they did for my sister, my brothers, and me. Thanks to them they’ve shaped me to become the young, strong independent women that I am today, and for that I will forever be grateful.
Where are you going to college, and what do you plan to study?
I plan to go to Jefferson State and study my basics for two years then switch over to the University of Alabama. I plan to major in business so I can help my parents with their dream business, a restaurant of their own! I’d also like to minor in cosmetology since I love expressing my creativity through my nails and hair.
What has been your favorite thing about your senior year?
My favorite thing this year is how we, Thompson Warriors celebrate senior traditions—from wearing togas, playing games, pep rallies, and the great student section.
What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
I am also a teacher at my church St. Thomas. Every Sunday, I help kids understand our religion better and get closer to our Lord and Savior.
Addison Lusco
National Honor Society President, Teen Council
You are the President of the National Honor Society—why is it important for you to be a leader?
Leadership allows me to create projects that give back to the community that raised us. I think leadership is a good teacher, also. Taking on the responsibility of a leader builds character. You have a lot of people looking to you for organization and guidance, and that not only humbles you but also empowers you to see your visions through. Trying to get back into volunteering during Covid has limited opportunities, but I hope that I will be remembered as a leader who was able to adapt and persevere through those obstacles.
You are very smart—how have your academic pursuits at THS prepared you for your academic future?
For me, academics have always been a physical expression of my love of learning and hard work. Seeing yourself accomplish something that you thought you couldn’t is an incredible feeling. As my physics teacher says, “There’s value in the struggle.”
What are some of your other academic accomplishments and extracurricular activities?
One of the achievements I am most proud of is running and organizing Thompson’s first-ever History Bowl. As founder of the History Club, there was no guidebook on how to run this event. However, through thorough planning and a lot of help from my classmates and teachers, we were able to put together an amazing experience. I am also a member of Model UN, Debate Team, STEM Girls, and I run a study Instagram account with my best friend.
What has been your favorite thing about your senior year?
My favorite thing has truly been the genuine connections I’ve made with my classmates. I couldn’t pin down a singular experience, but I can pin down a collective feeling of family at every game, pep rally, or senior-oriented event. I think our class, having faced the adversity of the last two years, came together and realized that we needed one another. During my senior year, I’ve been so fortunate to make new friends and grow closer to old ones. So, shout out to my friends and all of my 2022 classmates; you all have made this year incredible.
What are your career goals?
I do not have a singular career in mind, and couldn’t see myself doing one thing for the rest of my life. I have a multitude of different passions, particularly science and writing, and I’m looking to incorporate both STEM and the arts into my professional career and major(s). My most concrete goal is to become a Rhodes Scholar and study at Oxford University!
What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
I love sports and exercise, and I used to swim and play basketball competitively. But I also love fashion and art! So, if you see me at the Met Gala in10 years after making a breakthrough scientific discovery, don’t be too surprised.
Ryan Furlong
National Merit Semifinalist, JROTC
You’re a national merit semifinalist, so academics are obviously important to you—how have your academic pursuits at THS prepared you for your academic future?
THS has offered me diverse academic opportunities. Thanks to the roster of AP courses available, I have been able to challenge myself and gain enough college credit to start college as a second-semester freshman. The Engineering Academy and its teams have prepared me for my future career.
What are some of your other academic accomplishments and extracurricular activities?
I have a perfect 36 ACT score and a 1530 SAT score. I have been selected as one of 100 candidates for the Presidential Scholars program in Alabama. I participate in the Engineering Academy’s robotics and rocketry team.
Where are you going to college, and what do you plan to study?
I plan to attend the University of Alabama because of their National Merit Finalist scholarship, which would provide me with a full ride for five years. I plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. After graduating, I plan to pursue a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering at Purdue University.
What has been your favorite thing about your senior year?
During my senior year, many new teams were added to the Engineering Academy. My favorite has been the rocketry club. Our goal is to construct a model rocket carrying two eggs, launch it to no lower or higher than 835 feet, and have it land intact in 41 to 44 seconds with no damage to the eggs. This challenge has required extensive learning and planning and has been fascinating to tackle. I learned how to use rocketry software, RockSim, to simulate flights based on the specifications for our rockets in order to practice for our real flights. Being able to participate in this team has been extremely fun, and I hope to participate in similar teams in college.
What are your career goals?
Once I have my degrees, I plan to work for NASA. Hopefully, I will be able to do internships with them in college to increase my chances of being hired once I graduate. At NASA, I hope to advance humanity’s progress in space exploration. I also hope to someday become an astronaut myself.
What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
I flew a Cessna airplane for 45 minutes when I was nine years old.
Andrew Wilson
Model United Nations Vice President, Scholar’s Bowl Team Captain
Academics are obviously important to you—how have your academic pursuits at THS prepared you for your academic future?
While I did spend a lot of time learning useful things academically (computer programming especially), the most valuable thing I learned was how to interact with a wide variety of people. When I was younger, I only talked to a small circle of people, usually about video games, and while I still have many old friends with whom I talk about video games, I’m extremely glad I have interacted with a wider circle of people. I used to struggle to talk with somebody who didn’t share my hobbies, but now I can talk to anybody about most anything, which is probably one of the best skills you can have.
What are some of your other academic accomplishments and extracurricular activities?
I am the president of the Games Club, the captain of Scholar’s Bowl Team, Vice President of Model United Nations. I have a 34 ACT score and a 4.0 GPA.
Where are you going to college, and what do you plan to study?
I am going to the University of Montevallo on a full-ride scholarship. I am going to study Computer Science.
What are your career goals?
I want to get a 7-3 job (not 9-5—I hate traffic) doing computer programming. It would also be my dream to get involved in some form of politics, even at the local level. I will also hope my investments do well.
What has been your favorite thing about your senior year?
There’s much less petty conflict, much less drama in general, and a more “friendly community” type atmosphere. Although we all have our differences and past conflicts, the fact that some of us have spent all of our lives together and are now going our separate ways, really makes people think differently.
What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
I’m honestly a sucker for cheesy romance stuff in shows, movies, games, and books. It’s usually objectively bad and unoriginal, but I can’t help but love it.
Toni Person
Senior Class President, Marching Band Percussionist
You are a percussionist in the band—which instruments do you play, and how long have you been in the band?During Marching Band Season, I played snare, but I fell in love with the vibraphone my freshman year.
You are also the president of the senior class—why is it important for you to be a leader? What did you want to accomplish as class president?
I believe a leader ensures everyone is equally seen and heard. Inclusiveness and diversity are important to me. My sole purpose of being senior class president was to become the voice of the unheard. My goal for senior year is to rebuild the culture of Thompson, especially after the year of Covid-19.
What are some of your other academic accomplishments and extracurricular activities?
I am in the top 10 percent of my class with a 4.74 GPA and will be graduating with an honors diploma. I am a docent of the Legacy Youth Leadership Program at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, and a member of 4-H, Model UN, Beta Club, Key Club, History Club, and a THS Ambassador.
Where are you going to college, and what do you plan to study?
I plan on attending Howard University where I will study Political Science and Criminology.
What has been your favorite thing about your senior year?
My favorite thing about senior year so far has been football season, specifically the Homecoming game, when after the game the school popped fireworks.
What are your career goals?
After graduating from Howard University, I plan to attend Howard School of Law to get my J.D. and eventually become a civil attorney or politician.
What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
Before I joined the band, I did ballet for seven years.
Kylen Thompson
QuestBridge Scholar, Varsity Track & Field sprinter
You are a QuestBridge National Match Scholar. Tell me a little bit about how you got involved with QuestBridge and where you matched?
I knew that scholarships would be an important part of my college journey, so my mom and I started searching as early as possible. My mom stumbled upon QuestBridge and then I started the rigorous application process. I was fortunate enough to make it to the National College Match stage of the program, and even more fortunate to match with my dream school, Columbia University.
You are also a member of the track team? What are your events and what have you learned from being on the track team?
I’m a sprinter on the track team, so I do the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay. My favorite event is the relay because it takes the individual sport and turns it into a team competition. This year our program has an almost entirely new coaching staff, so learning to adapt to change has been very important.
What are some of your other academic accomplishments and extracurricular activities?
I am on the Alabaster Teen Council, The STARS Program at the Virginia Samford Theatre, and the Legacy Youth Leadership Program at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. I am also Senior Class Vice President and senior representative for our chapter of Leo Club. I’ve maintained straight As throughout my high school career and have received honors like the College Board National African American Recognition Program.
What do you intend to study at Columbia? What are you most excited about attending college in NYC?
I am planning to major in Psychology with a minor in Human Rights on a pre-law track. Columbia is a widely accepting and diverse university located in Manhattan, so I’m most excited to meet lots of new people from all over the world both on and off campus.
What are your career goals?
I want to earn my law degree and PhD from Columbia and become a civil rights attorney.
What has been your favorite thing about your senior year?
Strangely enough, my favorite thing about senior year has been being able to experience everything knowing it’ll be my last opportunity. In a way, it’s comforting to know that I’ve had a year full of “lasts.” Also the bonds I have formed with my friends and the memories we’ve made experiencing all of our “lasts” together.
What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
What shocks most people is how much I love to listen. Being a confidant for others who need to express their problems is something I have always had a passion for, but I feel that when others see me it’s not something they expect. I hope that once people get to know me they can become more comfortable opening up and sharing with me.
Logan Sprayberry
Team manager for football, basketball, and baseball
You serve as team manager for three athletic teams? Why did you pursue this?
I am the manager for Football, Basketball, and Baseball. It is not actually something I pursued; it is something that pursued me. When I was in middle school, some of the baseball coaches reached out to me about helping and those coaches also worked with football, so I became a multisport manager.
What do you enjoy about being a team manager, and what have you learned that you will use in the future? Being a manager has given me a brotherhood that I will never forget. The coaches from every sport have taken me under their wings from the beginning. It has taught me how to be a team player, time management, hard work, determination, and how to deal with different personalities and situations.
What are some of your other academic accomplishments and extracurricular activities?
I am a member of the National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, Beta Club, and SGA. When I am not at school or practice, I spend lots of time at my church and with my church youth group.
Where are you going to college, and what do you plan to study?
I have decided to go to the University of Alabama, and thanks to Coach Freeman, I am currently in conversation with the Alabama football program about being a team manager.
What are your career goals?
I plan to continue my involvement in athletics and ultimately be a collegiate athletic director.
What has been your favorite thing about your senior year?
My senior year has been one for the books, but one of my favorite things is winning a third championship in football, traveling with basketball to Gatlinburg, and I am looking forward to an awesome baseball season with our new baseball staff.
What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
People may be surprised to know that although I love sports, and I am heavily involved, I have never actually played any sport before.
Abby McGee
SGA President, National Merit Semifinalist
You ran and won SGA President—why is it important for you to be a leader? What did you want to accomplish as SGA President?
When I was in the sixth grade, I developed a desire to attend West Point. From the moment I made that decision, I knew that developing leadership skills and finding ways to make a difference in my community and my school was going to be as much of a focus for me as my academic pursuits. I ran for student council in sixth grade, and I have consistently sought leadership positions ever since, serving as TMS student council president, class president in ninth and tenth grades, then SGAVP as a junior and now SGA President. Throughout the years, I’ve developed a deep love for leadership and the responsibility that comes with it. My motivation to be as engaged as possible quickly shifted from achieving admission to the school of my dreams to a raw passion for making an impact on my community. My goal this year is to help the students in our school feel connected and empowered. I want my peers to know that their voices are heard and that their opinions matter. I also want our faculty and staff to know that the student body sees how hard they work, this year more than ever, and I hope to find more ways for the study body to demonstrate that appreciation.
You made a perfect 36 on your ACT and are a National Merit Semifinalist—tell me what academics mean to you and how they will apply to what you want to do in the future?
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been very curious and craved knowledge. I remember carrying a book about all of the different dog breeds with me everywhere and studying it nonstop, even at recess, because I was so consumed by wanting to know all that I possibly could. Academics are an area that I place a lot of value in because we live in a complex world, and in understanding that we can make a significant impact, whether through the discovery of a cure to a debilitating disease or appreciating a culture other than your own. For me, this means pursuing my goal of becoming a pediatric doctor. I’ve seen the ways a good doctor can touch a hurting family and help them heal, and that is ultimately my dream, but in order to get there I have a lot of learning to do, which I am so excited about!
What are some of your other academic accomplishments and extracurricular activities?
National Merit Semifinalist, Alabama Girls State Delegate, Presidential Scholar Program Candidate, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, WBRC Fox 6 Rising Star, Beta Club, founder and president STEM Girls, Peer Helpers, Alabaster Teen Council, Alabaster Teen Council, Women’s Mountain Biking Team, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
What are your career goals?
I have dreamed of being a doctor for years. I have a heart for working with kids, and pediatrics brings in a unique aspect of medicine where so much of the diagnostic process is a puzzle since many children can’t vocalize exactly what they are struggling with. I would love to work in a subspecialty within pediatrics, such as neurology, rheumatology, or oncology, though I have not decided which.
What has been your favorite thing about your senior year?
I’m very close to my parents, and I’m in a little bit of a panic because I feel like this year has gone by so quickly, and before I know it I won’t be seeing them every day. This year, more than any other year so far, I feel so lucky to have my mom working at my school; I still ride to school with her most days so that we can spend a bit more time together, and I can drop by and get a hug or a pep talk.
What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
Over the past year, I have had to completely reimagine my academic future. For the past six years, the driving force behind everything I did was to attend West Point. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), idiopathic hypersomnia (similar to narcolepsy), and general anxiety disorder. That medically disqualified me from a service academy. I allowed myself to grieve the loss of that dream, but with the support and encouragement of my parents, my therapist, and my teachers, I found a way to refocus my energies on finding the best direction to continue my dream of becoming a physician—the path and the job may look different than I had planned, but in the end the goal is to work to help others be well, but now it will be in the civilian setting instead of military.
Conner Harrell
Thompson High School Warriors football, starting quarterback, signed to play at the University of North Carolina
As the starting quarterback for your junior and senior years, you led your team to two state championships and played in a third—what did it mean to you to win a state championship your senior year?
It meant so much to me. To win with my brothers who’ve played together since we were little was a blessing. And to go out with a bang since I graduated early was cool.
When did you start playing football, and what have you learned from football that you’ll carry with you to the collegiate level?
I started playing in first or second grade. The most important thing is I learned how to compete. I learned leadership and how to work with a team. I learned so much from the older guys.
You are playing football at UNC—what goals have you set for yourself there?
My goal right now is to take it day by day and not look too far ahead. I want to work on getting better and stronger every day. I’m going to trust the process and work hard to be my best.
You graduated THS in December. How are you settling in to college life?
It’s getting easier after being here more time. It was tough at first—being here early and not coming in with the rest of the class. Four of us started early.
What do you plan to study?
I plan to major in business. UNC has a very prestigious business school, so I’m taking my prerequisites, and I hope to get in to the business school.
What are your career goals?
I definitely want to play in the NFL. That’s what I’ve been working so hard for so long. I’ve invested so much, so that’s my goal. But no matter what, I want to be involved in football through business management or coaching. But my goal is to play at the next level.
What was your favorite thing about THS?
The people and the coaches. I have friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime. The camaraderie with my teammates, sharing those experiences, and making those memories are things I’ll never forget.