One of our Senior Spotlights in this issue is on Mary Powell Chesnutt, who has been a part of the RMA family since Pre-K, making her what we fondly call “a lifer” here. I’m also lucky to know Mary Powell outside of school since she has been my lovely roommate for the past three years at Montreat Youth Conference with my church. Despite the fact that I have kept her up for many hours into the night during our collective weeks at Montreat, she has kindly remained my friend, and this good nature has earned her many more friends here at RMA.
Mary Powell is hardworking and studious, so although she is approaching the end of her high school career, she is taking all AP academic classes this year: AP Calculus, AP English, AP Physics, AP Psychology, and AP Environmental Science. A talented student, Mary Powell received the Headmasters Award and the Robert F. Sykes Math Award in her sophomore and junior years, but this success doesn’t mean she is limited to academia. Showing a more creative side, she is also taking Ceramics. So far, she has made a couple of plates and a butter dish and is currently planning to make a sculpture of me later in the year! In return, I’m thinking about painting a picture of her for my AP Art Portfolio.
Besides her focus on academics at RMA, Mary Powell has also participated in school sports and clubs. She has been on the swim team and also played tennis throughout high school, receiving the MVP Award for swim in both her sophomore and junior years. As for clubs, Mary Powell is part of the Fellowship of the Christian Athletes, Key Club, and Pickleball Club, and she serves as the President of RMA’s Senior Beta Club. With the little free time she has outside of school, Mary Powell enjoys going to the lake, playing tennis, hanging out with her friends, and watching Gossip Girl, which she will gladly tell you all about.
Mary Powell is looking forward to what’s left of her final year of high school, especially the New York trip and Senior Prank Day. Although she is excited about college, she says she will miss RMA greatly–especially Pajama Day! In the future, Mary Powell plans to pursue a career in Civil Engineering. She has applied to Virginia Tech, Clemson, NC State, the University of South Carolina, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Alabama, with Clemson or NC State being her top choices because of their excellent engineering schools. Which college she will choose is still a bit uncertain–not all schools have sent out their final round of acceptance letters–but wherever she ends up, she is sure to thrive.
Get to know Mary Powell!
What are you looking forward to in college?
Meeting new people
What is your funniest story from RMA?
My favorite RMA memory is from 2nd grade–the time Ms. Weaver was so upset she said (just kidding, of course!) she could “eat a small child” because no one was putting names on their papers. Frances and Grace then pushed me forward as a sacrifice, saying, “Mary Powell’s a small child!”
Describe your perfect day at RMA. What would you do? What classes would you take?
Extra ceramics, long lunchtime, and a fun tennis practice
If you could be any teacher for the day, who would it be and why?
Mrs. Hunter because she teaches the most fun classes!
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
The English countryside
Where is your favorite place and why?
Lake Gaston because it’s where I’m happiest
What is a talent of yours that we may not know about or something nobody knows about you?
I can do a flip.
What is your favorite TV show?
Gilmore Girls or Gossip Girl
What will you miss about RMA?
The teachers
