Students and teachers have come out of a school year full of changes, challenges, new opportunities, and online learning during a forever changeable pandemic last year. As 2021 has just ended and a new year has already approached us, why not look back at Brunswick Early College High School’s favorite memory of 2021? Students and staff were interviewed, and their responses to their favorite memories were:
Karen Feaster, a teacher here at BECHS said that her favorite memory was “Finding out that I will have a grandson and granddaughter in April and May of 2022. I am also glad to see everyone’s smiling face.”
A freshman, Mary Said commented that her favorite memory was “Making new friends” and that her friends are Eryn Greeno and Bella Wood.
Alise White, the success teacher, said that her favorite memory was “finding out that I will be a grandma and her name is going to be Genesis Gian. She is my first grandbaby and is expected to be here on February 3, 2022.”
Christopher Orrock, the assistant principal, said his favorite memory was “Taking my wife Ashleigh Orrock and my two daughters Sophia Orrock (7-year-old) and Adilyn Orrock (3 years old) to New York City for the first time in April of 2021 for a week.
Eleanor Keely, a student, said that her favorite memory was “going to the powerlifting team nationals this past summer in Colorado and finished 6th. The opportunity was cool. In July, I went to Disney World and cried when I walked into Galaxy Edge because I love Star Wars. I also built a life saber.”
Denise Absher, the Principal, said that her favorite memory was, “Welcoming our students back to school and getting to see BECHS coming together because we are better when we all work together. I got to experience what ECHS is really like. I got to move into a new house in Sunset Beach, NC, which has been a dream of mine. We wanted to get back to the coast and have been coming to sunset beach for over 30 years. We wanted to move here and eventually retire here.”
Marijayne Jessup, the school counselor said that her favorite memory was “going to Panama with a bunch of my friends over the summer and seeing all of the students coming back after not being in school for a while.”
Ajia Steve and Kayding Berry, ECHS graduates, said that their favorite memory was “putting pens on Khia to keep her from getting dress-coded.”
Rachel Danfod, a freshman, said that her favorite memory was, “I have been a dancer for more than ten years! Unfortunately, due to an injury, I had to stop dancing temporarily. I was able to go back halfway through the competition season. This was extremely stressful as I was behind in every class I took. However, I still wanted to compete. My amazing dance teacher, Holly Cross, choreographed and taught me a ballet solo in TWO MONTHS! I ended up going to Nationals at Showstoppers and winning 1st Place in my category. Although the injury ruined my plans for the season, it led me to an awesome opportunity.”
Students and staff have not only faced a pandemic with constant changes but they have tried something new, overcame challenges, made new memories, and made the best out of what they had. Students will encounter new opportunities and challenges as we begin the new year. Both students and staff are at their prime for accomplishing their goals, or anything they are faced with in this new year of 2022.
