This week’s senior spotlight stars a very special member of the class of 2023: Sarah Wiederhold! Sarah has been a part of the class since she joined in the eighth grade, but it is difficult to imagine life at RMA without her. She is a person of many talents, both on the stage and in the classroom, and her unbreakable spirit is one of her most shining traits. Sarah used the words friendly, loyal, and kind to describe herself, and a few words I would like to add to that list would be honest, caring, and extremely funny. These are the qualities that make her such a great friend, which I think Harrison Vaughn can attest to when he says, “Sarah is one of my closest friends. If I’m being honest, it feels like I’ve known her my whole life with how close we’ve become. I still remember how close we became the first year we met, and how I knew we would be best friends when we bonded over our shared struggles with cross country. I am looking forward to making many more memories with her in the future!” Since I have been lucky enough to call her my friend since she joined, I can personally say every single bit of that is true.  

Academically, Sarah is one of the most determined people you will ever meet and her schedule consisting of Spanish 4, AP Psychology, AP English, Calculus Honors, AP Environmental Science really allows her hard-working spirit to shine through. Her academic talent does not go unnoticed, especially in Spanish, with excellence awards in Spanish 1, 2, and 3, as well as an honorable mention for the National Spanish Exam and her involvement in Spanish Honor Society. She has received an award for Academic Excellence in Biology in 9th grade, was recognized for consistently being on the A honor Roll in 9th and 10th grades, and has also been a member of National Honor Society since the 10th grade. 

Sarah is active in many clubs here at Rocky Mount Academy, with memberships in Key Club, Beta Club, Book Club, Kindness Club, Carbon Club, and Global Studies Honors. She runs Cross Country in the fall, and it is hard to imagine the team without her encouraging attitude! Sarah is also taking Drama this year, and if you know Sarah, you know her love (and extreme talent) for performing. She has been acting since the time she could walk, which is apparent from the moment she walks onto the stage. She has been a part of every production available to her at RMA and I encourage you to come see her skill for yourself in the next one! In her spare time, Sarah loves to hang out with her friends and tries to go to as many concerts as she possibly can! 

Sarah is applying to a total of four colleges this fall: Appalachian State, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Greensboro, and UNCW. Even though she is not sure which college she is going to attend yet, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that she will thrive wherever she ends up. She is leaning towards majoring in either psychology or political science, both of which she would be absolutely incredible in. Sarah has so many talents and traits that will take her far in her future career. There are no limits to what she will be able to achieve and, while I am going to miss her so much next year, I just know that life has so many great things in store for her. From everyone here at RMA, we wish you the best of luck and are so very excited to see where life takes you next! 

Get to know Sarah! 

What is your favorite movie?

I don’t really have a favorite movie but my favorite show is definitely Gilmore Girls.

Describe your dream vacation: 

Somewhere with lots of history like England or Greece. 

Who is your role model?

My pet bear.

What is something nobody knows about you?

Horses terrify me.

If you were trapped on a deserted island, what three things would you bring?

My Nintendo Switch, a vinyl with records, and the Harry Potter series

What will you miss about RMA?

Virginia Feagans  

What is one piece of advice you’d give to an incoming freshman?

Freshman year matters, but try to have fun with it. 

What class would you take again, and why?

AP Government because I loved the class size and government is so interesting to me.