During the April meeting of the Pamlico County Board of Education, Pamlico County Middle School (PCMS) student, Jamie “J. D.” Gibbs, II, and Pamlico County High School (PCHS) student, McKenzie Whitley, were recognized as the Oriental Rotary Students of the Month for their school. Each month, this recognition is bestowed upon students who exhibit scholastic achievement, leadership, honesty, community service, teamwork, and empathy, among other notable characteristics.
J.D. was nominated for this award by his 8th grade teachers based on his strong work ethic, his motivation to learn, and his willingness to go above and beyond. J.D. is an honor student who strives for excellence in his classwork as well as in his extracurricular activities. In addition to his academic achievement, J.D. helped lead the PCMS basketball team to an undefeated season this year. He is an excellent student and a role model for his peers. His teachers are all very proud to nominate J.D. for this award.
"McKenzie is sincerely one of the most phenomenal students I have ever been blessed to work with,” said PCHS Principal Chris Meadows. “She has earned an awe-inspiring weighted GPA of 4.48 while taking and excelling in honors, college, and AP Level classes. This is evidence of how extremely intelligent she is, but surprisingly, this may not be what is most impressive. McKenzie is such a positive person with a huge heart that has earned her the admiration and respect of her peers, teachers and staff of PCHS, and almost certainly anyone she has spent any amount of time with. An example of the compassion and love she has for others is the "Scarves For Love" campaign she launched and raised $665 to provide scarves for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at CCHC New Bern Cancer Care Center. McKenzie is also a member of numerous clubs and organizations at PCHS including the National Beta Club, LIFT, and Pamlico County Youth and Government. McKenzie’s future is very bright and I am confident that when she attends Campbell University in the fall, they all will feel blessed to have her as a student, just as I have for the last three years.”
To further commemorate this honor, the Rotary Club has placed a plaque in both schools which displays the name of each recipient of this prestigious award.
Picture: (left to right) J.D. Gibbs, Jim Ragan, Rotary Representative, and McKenzie Whitley.