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Rising seniors, Will Dowe and Rai Pritchett represented Macon East Academy at this year’s Alabama Boys and Girls State events at the University of Alabama.  Sponsored by the American Legion, Boys and Girls State is a week long leadership program that provides delegates with a working knowledge of how government functions at the city, county, and state level.  The American Legion believes that teaching youth to understand and appreciate the basic principles involved in the successful management of a democratic society is vital to keeping America strong for future generations.  Delegates from across the state are selected by school faculty based on their demonstration of leadership in their school and community.  Throughout the week delegates participated in mock government, field trips and hands-on exercises, as well as heard from an array of Alabama government and business leaders.  Taking part in the political life of their community and state through campaigning, party caucuses, and the election process gave the delegates a new understanding and appreciation for the ideals of the American government.  As a delegate at Alabama Boys State, Will Dowe was elected to the Senate where he wrote and debated various bills.  Rai Pritchett was a member of the Senate and the Federalist Party at Alabama Girls State where she campaigned for the office of county commissioner.  Selection as a delegate for Alabama Boys and Girls State is an honor, and the experiences Will and Rai had through this prestigious program will shape them as leaders at school and in their future endeavors.

Seniors Channy Blackwell, Will Dowe, Sami Nesbitt and Mason Wray represented Macon East Academy this summer as delegates at the 7th Annual Alabama Lions High School Leadership Forum. The ALHSLF is a three day leadership forum for high school students from Alabama and is held at Troy University in Troy, AL. Included in the program are keynote speakers on leadership topics, hands on leadership exercises lead by college leadership students, physical challenges at Camp Butter & Egg, team building skills at the Dogpatch Olympics, group skits, fun, fellowship and great food. Mary Kaylin Veach and Liz Dowe Filmore, both Macon East alumni, served as group leaders, as well as JV Baseball Coach Chase Barber. Three days of intense leadership training was something that both the delegates and group leaders will not soon forget. They are all encouraged to return to their communities as advocates for positive change and service through understanding and action based on effective, ethical and compassionate leadership.

(Pictured left to right: Delegates Mason Wray and Sami Nesbitt, Group Leaders Mary Kaylin Veach, Liz Dowe Filmore and Chase Barber, and Delegates Will Dow and Channy Blackwell.)

The annual Macon East Honors Day program held May 12, 2016 was a time to recognize the graduating class for their accomplishments as well as other outstanding upper school students.  Representatives from many colleges and the United States Marine Corps were on hand to present scholarships and recognition to the seniors.  The Class of 2016 earned over $2 million in academic and athletic scholarships.  Seniors were also presented with their honor cords and honor graduate medallions to be worn at the commencement ceremony.  Jesi Garrett was named Valedictorian, and Grace Allen was named Salutatorian.

Below is a full list of awards presented at the event:

Subject Awards:

Senior High History:  Bailey Blaze

Junior High History: Casie Starling, Spencer Lindemood, Rachel Sargent

Senior High Science: Alex Wyrosdick

Junior High Science:  Spencer Lindemood

Junior High Math: Pre- Algebra: Justin Reynolds,  Algebra: Spencer Lindemmod, Geometry: Dawn Johnson

Senior High Math: Calculus: Seth Meadows, Pre- Calculus (Slate Garmany- Junior and Hannah Davis – Senior), Algebra II: Tyler Watson, Algebra III: Jesi Garrett

Computer: Dawn Johnson

Junior High Art: Madisyn Kennedy and Dawn Johnson

Senior High Art: Christian Styer and Briana Turner

Spanish I /Spanish II: Alex Wyrosdick

Spanish III: Hannah Davis

Junior High English:Katie Pittenger

Senior High English:  Bailey Blaze and Hannah Davis

Creative Writing: Emily Kyser

Speech: Madison Folkes

Spelling Bee:

7^th Grade Winner: Will Desmarais, alternate – Max Taylor

8^th Grade Winner: Bishop Stringer, alternate – Christian Moody

AISA Reading Fair Winners:

Junior High:

7^th Grade: 3^rd – Tanner Moore, 2^nd – Aiden Steyer, 1^st – Casy Starling

8^th Grade: 3^rd – Allison Parson, 2^nd – Ryan Brock, 1^st – Haley Wren

9^th Grade: 3^rd – Madisyn Kennedy, 2^nd – Beaty Hurst, 1^st – Zack Taylor

Best in Show: Christian Moody

Senior High:

10^th Grade: 3^rd – Nick Fitzgerald, 2^nd – Sam Pittenger, 1^st – Madison Folkes

11^th Grade:  3^rd – Sami Nesbitt, 2^nd – Spencer Hale, 1^st – Chloe Patterson

12^th Grade: 3^rd – Forrest Bankston, 2^nd – Jesi Garrett, 1^st – Ty Thomas

Best in Show: Christian Steyer

Lance and Shield Award: Hannah Walters

AISA Drama:

District Winners:  Bryson O’Malley, Savannah Clemens, Madison Folkes, and Hannah Davis placed 3^rd.  Madison Lane, Georgia Blaze, Katherine Kirk, Hannah Johnson, Rachel Sargent, Lauren Taylor, Casie Starling, and Barrett Hammond placed 2^nd .

State Winners: Madison Lane, Georgia Blaze, Katherine Kirk, Hannah Johnson, Rachel Sargent, Lauren Taylor, Casie Starling, and Barrett Hammond placed 2^nd.

Hannah Davis, Savannah Clemens, Rachel Sargent, and Georgia Blaze were chosen for the All-State Cast.

Art Awards:

AISA District Participants:

7^th – 9^th Grades: Briana Johnson, Barrett Hammond, Rachel Sargent, Haley Wren, Sam Castleberry, Bailey Nyberg, Casie Starling, Trent Watson, Will Desmarais, Emily Nickles, Ethan Honaker, Zack Taylor

10^th 12^th Grades: Christian Steyer, Jaycee Cook, Hannah Johnson , Brianna Turner, Madison Folkes , Amber McGuff

AISA State Participants: Jaycee Cook, Christian Styer, Zach Taylor – won 2^nd place 

Math Competition:

AISA Junior High School Math Competition Team: Barrett Hammond, Katherine Kirk, Max Taylor , Will Desmarais, Jonathan Mathis, Rachel Sargent, Trent Watson, Lane Johnson, Georgia Blaze

 AISA High School Math Competition Team: Jesi Garrett, Adam Durden, Bailey Blaze, Sarah Margaret Poundstone, Grace Allen, Suzie Johnson, Chapman Brooks, Karli Hawkins

Leglislative Day with Primesouth Bank: Jennifer Campbell, Susie Johnson, Sami Nesbitt

Youth In Government

(Pike Road) Seth Meadows, Meri-Kathryn Bright, Bailey Blaze, Hannah Walters, DJ Holifield, Will Dowe

(Montgomery) Bailey Blaze, Meri- Kathryn Bright, Hannah Davis, Alex Wyrosdick, Chandler Lunn, Lindsay Johnson

Alabama Lions High School Leadership: Sami Nesbitt , Channy Blackwell , Jennifer Campbell

Eastdale Mall Teen Team : Madison Lane, Cydney Worthington, Sarah Margaret Poundstone

DAR Good Citizens Winner: Grace Allen

School Community Service Award: Meri-Kathryn Bright and Sarah Margaret Poundstone

Spirit of the Community Award: Emily Kyser as the state wide student ambassador to the Wounded Warrior Foundation

Duke Talent Identification Program: Will Desmarais, Barrett Hammond, Jordan Hicks, Jonathan Mathis, Tanner Moore, Emily Nickels, Justin Reynolds, May Taylor

Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Award: Tyler Watson and Hannah Johnson

Alabama Girls State: Rai Pritchett

Alabama Boys State: Will Dowe

National Honor Society Leadership Award: Grace Allen

Wendy’s Heisman: Girls: Jesi Garrett – State finalist Boys: Austin Reese

Jimmy Hitchcock: 2016 Female Hitchcock Winner – Jesi Garrett

Senior High: Lexi Brantley and Jesi Garrett

Junior High: Nate Center and Bailey Williams

Hilda Story Teacher of the Year Award: Ray Clinton

AISA Student Athlete Award: Jesi Garrett

SGA Leadership Award: Lexi Brantley

AISA Headmaster’s Association Award: Jesi Garrett

I Dare You Leadership Award: Bailey Blaze

Mandy Williams Christian Leadership Award: Sarah Margaret Poundstone

Jack Cox Service Award: Braxton Bundy

Zeta Spence Memorial Award: Grace Allen

Salutatorian: Grace Allen

Valedictorian: Jesi Garrett

The YMCA’s Jimmy Hitchcock Memorial Award is the highest honor bestowed upon high school athletes in the Montgomery area.  Based on the principles of Christian leadership as well as athletic and academic excellence, the Hitchcock award encourages and inspires others to emulate the man whose memory is perpetuated by this award.  At the 57th annual Jimmy Hitchcock banquet, Macon East’s Jesi Garrett was honored to be selected as the 2016 female winner.  Trinity’s Robert Adams, pictured below with Jesi, was the male award winner.  The daughter of Terri and Alan Garrett, Jesi is not only an outstanding student at Macon East with a GPA of 4.24, she is a 10 time state champion and valedictorian of her graduating class.  A three sport athlete in volleyball, basketball, and volleyball, she has earned 5 consecutive state championships in both volleyball and softball.  Jesi has been named to numerous AISA all-tournament and all-metro teams and was selected as the AISA player of the year and state tournament MVP for volleyball.  Jesi was also an all-state basketball player, all-metro player of the year, and participated in the AISA senior all-star games in each of her sports.  Previously an all-state softball player, Jesi is sure to receive even more accolades for the 2016 season as well.  She serves at the team captain in all three sports, as well as being vice-president of the Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society, member of the National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Students, Camelot Club Justice, and the Math Team.  As a member of Woodland United Methodist Church, Jesi is involved in the youth group and sings in the choir.  Jesi not only made history as the first Hitchcock award winner from Macon East Academy, she will be the first two-sport athlete at the College of Coastal Georgia.  Jesi has committed to play both volleyball and softball for the Mariners, while pursuing a degree in nursing.

Also representing Macon East at the 2016 Hitchcock awards was Lexi Brantley.  Lexi is also a 5 time state champion in volleyball, an outstanding student and leader at MEA, and will be continuing her athletic career at Belhaven in Jackson, Mississippi.  Both girls are truly representative of the principals of the historic Hitchcock program.  Each year, freshman honorees are invited to attend the banquet representing their school.  Nate Center and Bailey Williams were selected as this year’s freshman representatives and were both inspired to strive to be award nominees as seniors.  Macon East congratulates all of these outstanding Christian athletes who proudly represented their school at the 2016 Jimmy Hitchcock Memorial Award ceremony.

The Macon East Drama Club presented their annual spring play Alice on May 3.  Alice was adapted by seniors Hannah Davis and Hannah Walters from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, with inspiration from Tim Burton’s Alice and Wonderland.  Along with adapting the script, Hannah Davis and Hannah Walters designed the set and costumes with the help of Mrs. Candice Duffey, drama club sponsor.  Once the girls settled on a design, members of the cast helped make Wonderland and the characters in Alice come to life.  This year’s play was a huge success and the first time students in 7th-12th grades have participated in the spring play.  The magnificently colorful set design and costumes along with outstanding theatrical performances by the entire cast brought Alice to life. 

Cast:

• Alice- Hannah Davis
• Margaret- Alice’s sister- Sarah Margaret Poundstone
• White rabbit- Hannah Walters
• Skull person #1- Sam Pittenger
• Skull person #2- Casie Starling
• Skull person #3- Lauren Taylor
• Tweedle dee- Barrett Hammond
• Tweedle dum- Georgia Blaze
• Flowers
  • daisy- Sarah Margaret Poundstone
  • tiger-lily- Katherine Kirk
  • rose- Grace Allen
• Duchess- Meri-Kathryn Bright
• Cook- Katherine Kirk
• Caterpillar- Savannah Clemens
• Cheshire Cat- Bailey Blaze
• Mad Hatter- Hannah Johnson
• March Hare- Ty Grant
• Dormouse- Katherine Kirk
• Knave of Hearts- Lane Johnson
• Cards
  • Two-Katherine Kirk
  • five- Jonathan Mathis
  • seven- Max Taylor
• Red Queen- Rachel Sargent
• White Queen/ Ivory Queen- Madison Folkes

Backstage:

• Makayla Morris
• Ashley Atkins
• Jennifer Campbell

The Macon East Jr/Sr Prom was held Saturday, April 30 at 129 Coosa in Montgomery’s downtown Alley entertainment district.  The junior class, prom committee members (Sami Nesbitt, Alex Wyrosdick, Rai Pritchett, and Cadey Brown), and prom sponsor Jennifer Harris worked all year to plan an evening of fun and dancing.  Taking their inspiration from Vincent van Gogh’s 1889 painting, this year’s prom theme was Starry Night.  The banquet hall at 129 Coosa was decorated with a replica of Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” along with stars and twinkling lights suspended from the venue’s exposed beams.  Couples enjoyed having their picture taken sitting in the eight foot crescent moon.  Members of the Class of 2016 and their escorts were recognized at the senior lead outs, as parents snapped pictures to commemorate the moment.  DJ Ziggy kept everyone on the dance floor until the announcement of the 2016 Prom King and Queen – Mr. Patrick Brown and Miss Ally Slaton.