Finding ways to persevere is a talent Toni Dunlap has been cultivating for years.
Dunlap, a 17-year-old from Stockbridge who plans to study computer engineering at the University of Denver, is one of more than 200 students awarded the AJC Cup by their schools. The AJC Cup has been given out since 1927 and recognizes students who display leadership and excellence through their school work, extracurricular activities and community service.
In interviews with 10 AJC Cup winners, students said they excelled in high school by balancing extracurricular activities, tackling challenging material and learning how to use their creative pursuits for academic gain.
While joint-enrolled in Clayton State University, Dunlap took a collegiate-level chemistry course at the same time as her high school course. She worked with teachers at her online high school, Georgia Cyber Academy, and with professors at Clayton State to keep up with the material.
"I was able to bring the grade up and pass the course, and that was something I didn't think that I would be able to do," Dunlap said. "When it came time to finish my chemistry class that was a year long, it was breezy."
Dunlap isn't the only student who credits her success to persistence. Rockdale County High School graduate KeMaya Tucker, a 17-year-old who has been diagnosed with epilepsy, had to learn special study habits so she could retain lessons. She said her parents — Kenny and Treva Tucker of Conyers — motivated her to work hard, regardless of whether another student could learn subjects more quickly.
"Having epilepsy, it definitely makes it harder," Tucker said. "What usually takes a person 30 minutes will take me an hour."
Kentez Craig, a recent 18-year-old graduate of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School in Fayetteville, also said his parents — Kenneth and Jackie Craig of Atlanta — always motivated him to do his best. He took seven advanced placement classes and played tennis throughout his years in high school.
"My parents were a major driving force," Craig said. "I was always in an atmosphere conducive to learning. If I had homework to do that was of the utmost importance."
Parents can also remind highly motivated students not to stress if they struggle to get an A in a class.
"I've never made a B in high school, and statistics was one class where I almost made a B," said Rachel Haas, a recent graduate of Sequoyah High School in Canton. "I cried so much, and I remember saying, 'Mom, what if i don't get an A? And she's like, 'What if you don't? You tried your hardest.'"
Getting support from her friends, a cheerleading coach and her mother helped 18-year-old Miniya Bolton, who graduated from Monroe Area High School in Monroe, stay on top of her classes and projects.
"My friends, they helped me because we all had the same surroundings," Bolton said. "We all took AP classes. Whenever I was feeling down on a topic of a subject, they would push me to get it done."
Juggling school and extracurricular activities is a struggle many high school students share, said 18-year-old Andrew Vincent, a graduate of Holy Spirit Preparatory School in Atlanta. His parents,Vern and Jennifer Vincent of Sandy Springs, often remind him to slow down and take time for himself.
"I have a tendency to try to be involved in everything," Vincent said. "They would always tell me, 'Hey, Drew, you're doing too much.'"
When students are able to balance after-school activities, however, it can help them flourish personally and academically.
Janki Patel of Shiloh High School said she often volunteers to help with the annual walkathons and the Diwali festival at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, the Hindu temple she attends. Patel, an 18-year-old who plans to study accounting at the University of Georgia, said she took leadership positions in school clubs and volunteered more to branch out from band, which she had been participating in since middle school.
"I realized that I needed to step up," Patel said. "I needed to do better in my work, I needed to do better in my religion and better in my faith."
Teachers and coaches also play a role in helping students keep work and play in balance. East Coweta High School graduate Sarah Katherine Palmer, 18, said her coaches always made sure team members put class first.
"They were really good at putting classes first and making sure my grades were where they needed to be, because if they weren't where they needed to be you couldn't play anyway," Palmer said.
Students who are allowed to pursue their creative talents have also been able to use their abilities to get into high-ranking universities.
Matthew Brague, an 18-year-old who graduated from Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw, said he and his parents created a compilation of his dance videos as supplemental material for Brague's application to Duke University.
"By sending in the art supplement, they said it raised my chances from 10 percent to 30 percent," Brague said. "I'm not going to pursue dance as a career, but I used that God-given talent to help me get into the university that was my first choice."
Samuel Lauten, an 18-year-old who graduated from The Westminster Schools, said he went through several versions of his college application before finally submitting a poem for the essay portion. He also submitted vocal performances as supplementary material.
"I came up with something that was really strong, and I was really proud of," Lauten said. "I showed as many sides of myself without becoming general. I also wanted to show them that I was multifaceted.
Lauten said it was important for motivated high school students to remember to enjoy their high school years and try to pace their efforts.
"It's really easy to get bogged down by it all, especially when you're working with applications," Lauten said. "Find a way to balance working hard while still enjoying it, whether that takes an artistic outlet or athletics."
About the Author
