Joining us her freshman year, Isabella Daza has brought a bright spirit and kind heart to the class of 2025 after being awarded the Ann Weaver Scholarship in 2021. Showing her kindness and positivity, Isabella received the Good Citizenship Award in 9th grade, and she also received the Turner Battle Scholarship in 2023–an honor that represents leadership, scholarship, college potential, and school spirit.

Her senior year, Isabella is challenging herself with Honors Calculus, AP English 12, AP Environmental Science, AP Psychology, and AP Statistics. She is incredibly devoted to her schoolwork, which shows through her receiving Highest Academic Averages in Honors English 9 and AP World History and her awards for Academic Excellence in Honors Geometry, Honors Biology I, Honors Pre-Cal, and AP Bio. She also spends time with our Exceptional Children’s program by taking our class called EC Help, which offers Upper School students a chance to help our EC teachers nurture these special students. She is a great addition to this program, as she brings her energized personality with her to make the children’s day. Mrs. Whitehead comments that Isabella is a “model person in every aspect of life,” so she’s grateful for the good example Isabella sets for the students.

Isabella’s hard work in school carries over to sports. She has played soccer throughout high school on club teams and on the Rocky Mount Academy varsity team, receiving All-Conference and All-State recognition every year since freshman year. Not only has she excelled in soccer, but she has also found the time and energy to run cross country her freshman year and play varsity basketball all four years of high school. Just like with soccer, Isabella has earned accolades in these other sports too. She won All-State and All-Conference honors in cross country her freshman year; in basketball, she has been named All-Conference every season since her freshman year and added All-State honors her sophomore and junior years. As if being a three-sport athlete isn’t enough, in her senior year, Isabella decided to play tennis for the first time!

Isabella loves to stay busy watching movies with her family, baking, and waking up early before school to go to spin and yoga classes at the YMCA with her friends. She also strives to be service-oriented and take care of others, so she volunteers with her church, works as a lifeguard in the summer, and babysits an RMA family. Here on campus, she serves as the president of the Spanish National Honor Society, which in years past has raised money for the Red Cross, and–again in her role in the SNHS–Isabella recently organized a coat drive for lower-income families in Nash County.

Serving as an officer in another important club, Isabella is the treasurer of the Beta Club and makes sure the money is accounted for. Each year she helps with inductions of new Beta Club members, and in 2023, she attended the National Beta Club Convention and participated in “Living Literature.” Finally, she takes part in the Stronger Together Club (which helps with the Exceptional Children’s program) and Key Club, which has two major service projects each year: an ice cream fundraiser (this year, to benefit western North Carolina; past years have focused on the Holly Project) and adopting a needy family for Christmas.

Isabella hopes to continue her academic career at a major college, so he has applied to UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, the University of South Carolina, William and Mary, the University of Louisville, ECU, and the University of Virginia. She plans to major in International Relations and one day work as a diplomat or ambassador since she is bilingual, being fluent in Spanish. 

Get to know Isabella!

What is your favorite movie or go-to song?

My favorite movie is Mama Mia, A Cinderella Story, or Cars.

Who is your role model?

My mom. She is my best friend and understands me better than I understand myself sometimes. She teaches me important life lessons all while balancing her crazy busy work life. I aspire to be like her someday. 

What is a talent of yours that we may not know about or something nobody knows about you?

Something nobody knows about me is that I once fell through a plastic roof. 

Describe your dream vacation OR if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Italy 

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

my phone, my Chipotle bowl, and a hairbrush

What celebrity would you want to be for two days and why?

I would want to be Kevin Hart so I could experience his sense of humor firsthand.

What is one lesson you learned at RMA?

Be kind to everyone because you never know what they are going through. 

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? 

hopefully living close to a big city with 2 dogs