WABASH, IN- Southwood Junior-Senior High School recently named their 2022 Valedictorian, Miss Haley Lanning. Haley is the daughter of Annette and Gerald Lanning. During her high school career, she has been involved in Peers Educating Peers, National Honors Society, Prom Planning Committee, and the Professional Career Internship program.
Haley’s favorite and most informative part of high school was her internship at Southwood Elementary, stating, “My internship allowed me to get actual experience doing what I want to do for the rest of my life. I also got to work with my favorite teacher of all time, Mrs. Lisa Fadil, and learn how she has been so successful as a teacher. Because of my internship, I was able to see that teaching is most definitely what my calling is in life.”
Haley has most appreciated the relationships she was able to build as a Southwood student with teachers and her peers. “Because there are smaller class sizes, teachers can take time to get to know you on a more personal level and it is also easier to get to know all your classmates on a deeper level,” Haley stated. “Throughout my years with the people in my class, I feel I have gotten to know each one of them very well and it seems like we are a family. This year I have really started to understand the influence that all my teachers have had on my life and I hope that I can make an impact like this as a teacher as well.”
This coming fall, Haley plans to begin college online through Western Governors University to study elementary education. She hopes to become a kindergarten teacher and dreams of teaching at Southwood one day.
Southwood also announced their 2022 Salutatorian, Miss Maddison Hunter. Maddisonis the daughter of William and Noelle Hunter. She has been a part of cheerleading, competitive dance, and student congress.
Maddison feels Southwood gave her many experiences, stating “Any opportunity Iwanted was available to me… and the teachers are the best.” She was able to achieve many college classes giving her a head start on her college career. She appreciates how Southwood teachers would set aside as much time as their students needed in helping them understand concepts.
Through her time in high school, Maddison has learned how to be flexible and manage her time between activities, work and school. Maddison plans to attend the University of Alabama this fall to study Political Science before moving on to law school.
