Grace Massey and Scarlet Frey shared one thing in common as they heard the stories of the other area high school students under consideration for the Columbus Exchange Club’s Youth of the Year and A.C.E. Award: They were both surprised to hear their names called.
“Slim,” Frey answered when asked to assess the odds of her winning the A.C.E. Award.
“I was shocked,” said Massey when she heard her name announced as the Youth of the Year winner.
The two seniors had been named for the honors for their respective schools — Massey at New Hope, Frey at Caledonia High School — so the only suspense remaining was which of the students representing six schools would emerge as the overall recipients of the two honors.
In addition to Frey and Massey, nine other students were selected as their schools’ Youth of the Year and A.C.E. Award winners.
A.C.E. winners were Katelyn Pounders (Columbus Christian Academy), Madison Tipton (Heritage Academy), Aliya Strain (Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science) and Arlana Rice (West Lowndes High School).
Youth of the Year winners were Madeline Bennett (CCA), Owen Riley (Heritage), Niyah Lockett (MSMS) and Ty Dajasha Hood (WLHS).The Youth of the Year award recognizes students who have attained high levels of scholastic achievement, community involvement and leadership.
An Exchange Club committee selected the overall winners.
Massey said her greatest achievement was being awarded the Top Hat Trojan Award, which is chosen by the New Hope faculty, emerging from a group of 200 seniors to earn the honor. She said much of her inspiration comes from her older brother, Chandler, who has Down Syndrome.
“Adults and children like my brother are the reason my heart smiles so big at the challenge of my chosen responsibility in shaping America’s future,” Massey wrote in her essay. “A successful America is where everyone is loved and shown kindness, where people are valued no matter who they are or what they look like. I have chosen to fight, not for myself but for students that have special needs and distinctive differences from what many would deem as normal.”
Massey plans to attend Mississippi State University and major in special education.
The A.C.E. Award (Accepting the Challenge of Excellence) recognizes students who have made a dramatic change in attitude/performance while overcoming adversity.
Frey’s biography noted that she had an unsettled childhood, bouncing from one family member to another as her father was in and out of prison. As a sophomore in high school, Frey dropped out of a school in Oregon. She fell into depression and attempted suicide.
After leaving the hospital following her suicide attempt, she moved to Lowndes County to live with her aunt and uncle — Sarah and Corey Frey. The couple soon adopted Scarlet and she flourished in the stable home they provided, doubling up on her class load to catch up with her class.
“The experience provided me the opportunity to discover a better version of myself and a chance to succeed,” Frey wrote.
Frey said her own struggles have inspired her career choice. She plans to become a nurse and a first responder.
“I want to be there for people on their worst days when they need help the most,” she wrote.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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