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The academic leaders of the classes of 2024 at Rockbridge County and Parry McCluer high schools did a lot more than graduate at the top of their classes.
For PMHS valedictorian Kovyk Chandler and salutatorian Sydney Mahaffey, those accomplishments included college classes and athletic recognitions.
In addition to his high school diploma, Chandler earned two associate’s degrees in his time at PMHS, taking over 90 college credits through Mountain Gateway Community College.
Chandler has also distinguished himself through athletics, running track and cross country.
He set Parry McCluer records in the indoor and outdoor 1600- and 3200-meter races, and won eight individual and two state titles in his high school career.
Chandler graduated with a 4.4 GPA, and plans to serve on a church mission after graduation.
Mahaffey, graduating as salutatorian, also took advantage of her dual enrollment opportunities with Mountain Gateway Community College.
Mahaffey graduated summa cum laude from Mountain Gateway with an associate’s degree in science.
Outside of school, she was on the staff at Blue Forest Theater Academy, working with 8- to 12-year-old dance students.
Additionally, Mahaffey played tennis, soccer and volleyball, saying that playing volleyball with her sister Keely was one of her favorite parts of high school.
Graduating with a 4.3 GPA, Mahaffey plans to attend Utah State University, where she will join the honors program and study mechanical engineering, focusing on aerospace.
- Rockbridge County High School valedictorian Charles Lowney and salutatorian Nala Shearer also celebrated notable accomplishments as they graduated high school.
During his time in high school, Lowney competed on both the cross country and swim teams, and was also part of the school’s Latin Club and Academic Team.
He also founded the Programming Outreach Program, through which RCHS students taught computer science and coding to students at Lylburn Downing Middle School.
Lowney plans to continue studying computer science, as well as electrical engineering, at Dartmouth College.
“My favorite part about RCHS is the people,” Lowney said. “Everyone from the amazing teachers to the diverse group of students have made for such a wonderful experience.”
Salutatorian Shearer earned regional and state honors in volleyball and lacrosse in her time at RCHS.
In addition to athletics, Shearer was editor of the school newspaper and social media manager for Project Connection.
“My favorite parts of attending RCHS,” she said, “were the people and the environment.
“The school has a great environment for learning, and my teachers pushed and supported me throughout my four years, which I am extremely grateful for,” said Shearer.
Graduating with 4.5 GPA, Shearer will be heading off to Gettysburg College, where she plans to play volleyball and study biology.
