I am very excited to announce that I have the pleasure of writing the Senior Spotlight for none other than our recently crowned Prom Queen herself, Holly Brantley! Never in my life have I ever met someone so inherently positive, creative, funny, and happy as Holly; she should be your new role model, whatever age you are.

Holly lives in Spring Hope with her mother, father, and two younger brothers 7th grader Kent (13) and 5th grader Lowell (10). (Also, she made sure to include that she has adopted Porter Petruzziello as a sister from Joseph). Her love of knowledge and her creative spirit is found not only at school, but at home also. Her kitten is named Kurt Vonnegut, and she has a cactus that she named Marie Antoinette. They also have another cat named Lucy, but this cat doesn’t seem to like Holly very much (as Holly puts it, “she is evil and if she was a lion, she would probably eat me.”). She started going to Rocky Mount Academy in the 6th grade, and since then she has immersed herself in the school.

In 9th and 10th grade, Holly was on the JV Tennis Team. Since then, she has shifted her extracurriculars towards the more musical/theatrical/literary side. In music, she has been a member of our school’s Musical Performance Band. She plays both the guitar and the ukulele thanks to Mr. Leonard’s class! She has also been very involved in the theater at Rocky Mount Academy for all 4 years of her high school career. In her 9th grade year, she was Auntie Em in “The Wizard of Oz,” a dutiful disciple in her 10th grade performance of “Godspell,” an adorable 5 year old her junior year in “Charlie Brown,” and this past year she was none other than Frenchy in “Grease!” Outside of school, she has still pursued her love of theater; she was in “The Hobbit” at the Imperial Center last year!

She has also shared her love for literature with Rocky Mount Academy throughout her time here. In the 9th grade, she started helping Dr. O’Brien with coaching the Middle School Battle of the Books team. In 9th and 10th grades, she wrote book reviews for Quailridge Books in Raleigh, and in the 11th and 12th grades she has helped lead Lunch Bunch (a program to instill a love of reading in children in the 3rd and 4th grades). This year, she also founded the Literary Appreciation Club at RMA, as well has been our Editor and Chief here at the Eagle Examiner (we love you Holly!).

Another one of Holly’s passions is working with children (after all, as you will find out in the interview, she hopes to be able to be a foster mother one day). She works with children in many of the programs listed before concerning literature, but she also babysits and tutors children on occasion. Plus, she has been working in RMA’s after-school daycare during both 11th and 12th grades, and last summer she was a camp counselor here!

I think when most people think of Holly, they think of her kindness and generosity. It takes a special person to always be optimistic. I think she would even be able to turn finding out someone was at home with the flu into something positive; she’d say “now they get a chance to work out their immune system and help it grow stronger!” Plus, she is so organized and prepared for anything. She is the true “mom” of the grade. Need a bandaid? Holly will ask if you would rather have a Nemo themed or My Little Pony themed one. Need batteries? Holly will ask if you need triple A, double A, or a car battery (because I’m sure she has one of those stowed away somewhere to help someone broken down on the side of the road one day; that’s just the kind of selfless person she is). We joke, but Holly’s protective side isn’t something to mess with. She cares for each and every member of the senior class so much; so much so that she brought pepper spray to New York with us just in case (and subsequently got it confiscated for the duration of one of our tours, but she got it back afterwards to her relief).

While our schedules have not aligned as well as they have the past three years (as we only have AP English together this year), Holly will still remain one of my absolute favorite people to have ever walked the halls here at RMA. From her absurdly hilarious stories about her family (trust me, just ask her for some, she has an arsenal of them) to helping me when I have creative writing blocks, she is always one to lift your spirits and lend a helping hand. NC State is lucky to be gaining such a wonderful person, student, and friend to all next year, and Rocky Mount Academy and the graduating class of 2018 will always remember, love, and support you Ms. Holly Brantley.

To learn more about Holly, please refer to the following interview questions:

1. What has been one of your favorite memories of your time here at RMA? I’ve had so many, it’s hard to just name one! I’d have to say playing Frenchy in Grease has been a pretty awesome one, as well as being in Godspell my sophomore year. As far as in class memories though, I’m not sure anything will beat the time we found a mouse in Ms. Baker’s room and tried to convince her to let us keep it as a class pet (Godspeed Lennette). Abroad, I think it’s a tie between the time Mrs. Meadows and I got lost in the National Archives in D.C when I was in seventh grade or when Renate, Joe, Elias, Anna, and I all got hopelessly lost in Chinatown in New York (though it was not that funny at the time!).
2. I know you are determined the Media Office is haunted. What makes you think this way? I think it all leads back to the Mask. Not only is the Media Office always freezing, stuff is always going missing, and loafs of bread and granola bars are always appearing, but the Mask has started moving around too. Normally, we have the Mask pinned to the bulletin board, but lately it’s been moving around the room. One day it was in the camera bag, another it was on Georgia’s chair, and now it’s been set up sort of like a shrine (though, to be fair, part of the shrine was created by Ann Sumner and I). Plus, someone’s drawn a little stick figure body to put under it. If you still don’t believe me, I’d just like to state the fact that, in horror movies, nobody believes the original believer until it’s too late…
3. What colleges did you apply to? What made you decide on NC State? I applied to UNC-Chapel Hill, High Point University, UNC-W, Barton College, ECU, and of course NC State! When I started applying to colleges, I still wasn’t really sure where I wanted to go so I wanted to get a wide variety and keep my options open. It wasn’t until visited all these places that I was able to decide. When I visited NC State, I just fell in love with it. They actually have a really awesome writing program, it’s just small. That’s part of why I chose it. I like the idea of a big campus, but my department will be small so I’ll sort of get the best of both worlds.
4. What is the best book you’ve read recently for fun? I’d have to say the Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series by Brandon Sanderson. Basically, they’re about this boy named Alcatraz who is hopelessly clumsy and, because of that, thinks that he’s broken but it turns out that his ability to break things is actually (sort of like) a superpower! It’s a “kids” book and the typical “save the world” thing, but it’s really cute and it’s refreshing to see something usually thought of as a weakness being seen as a talent. There’s a lot in it about embracing your flaws and I think that’s important to show people, especially young children. Flaws connect people to their humanity and are really only a problem when you don’t accept them.
5. I know that while you love reading, you also love writing. What’s one of your favorite stories/poems you’ve written ? In the past few years, I’ve really been into fantasy!  I’ve been working on a novel trilogy series since the sophomore year about a group of kids for who books “come to life” for. To make a really long story short, throughout the series they have to overcome personal obstacles, work together, and fight against some notorious literary villains in order to preserve the innocence and goodness in the world. I’d really like to publish the series one day but, even if it never makes it, I’m really proud of it and I’ve worked really hard on it.
6. What do you see yourself doing 10 years from now? I’d really like to be an author and to teach Creative Writing or literature at a college level. Another thing I’d definitely like to do is be a foster mother, although admittedly that’s going to be a little more than just 10 years down the road. I think it’s important to keep an open mind too though, so I guess will just have to see! But, whatever I do, I want to help people, so I’d like to say I’d be in some kind of service/teaching position.
7. What makes naked mole rats your favorite animal? I know you say it’s because they are cute, but I feel like that may be kind of a stretch… Naked mole rats are the greatest creatures to ever grace the Earth. The thing about them that makes them so great, though, is how complex they are. I mean, most people look at them, are immediately disgusted, and leave it at that while the truth is they have so much more to offer. Did you know that they can’t develop cancer? In fact, if researchers can figure out why that is and replicate it, we may even have a cure for cancer. That’s just beautiful to me, that the “ugliest” creature on Earth could potentially hold the most incredible cure. I think it just drives home the point that what something looks like on the outside is no indication of the true value it really holds. Everyone and everything deserves to be loved for no other reason than it exists and, even if I am the only person who ever has or will, I will continue to love the naked mole rat for that reason. Although it may be considered ugly, I don’t think that it means it should be any less loved or admired than any other creature on this Earth. Everyone (or thing) needs someone to love it and I just want to be that person.  
8. If you could become absolutely anything or anyone (dead, alive, real, fake) for a day, what would you want to become? I think I’d like to become a water particle or raindrop. I’d really like to see the world one day and I’d be pretty convenient to do so by traveling around with the clouds and just falling when I got ready for an extended stay. Have you seen how expensive planes are these day? Not to mention the whole thing with boats. I watched Titanic once and that was enough boating for me… 
9. What person would you say has made the biggest impact on your life? I’ve learned so many different things from so many different people, that I’m not sure it’d be fair to just name one. From my dad, I learned the joy of writing and inherited a dry sense of humor. My mom taught me the importance of determination and perseverance. My grandmother’s shown me that love always shows up, even in unsuspecting ways. My aunt’s taught me to never take life too seriously; that there’s always a reason to laugh. From my brothers, I’ve learned responsibility, patience, and to never take anything too seriously. Dr. O’Brien shown me my value and that “to be great is to be misunderstood” while Mr. Stone taught me that to push myself and be the best I can be. Mrs. Whitehurst and Mr. Leonard have coaxed me out of my shell, helping me to channel my inner actress and musician. Dr. K taught me that the only thing to be afraid of is fear itself and him when he slams his hand down on the desk. Ms. O’Brien, Ms. Carter, and Ms. Knox have all taught me how to be a strong role model (especially for other girls) and so has Ms. Ware (our sixth grade English teacher who was formerly Ms. Crisp) who also has helped and encouraged my writing. The little ones in the daycare have taught me that no one ever truly grows up, but just gets older, and that love never goes out of style. All these people and more have really made an impact on me and I’ll be forever grateful to them.  
10. While you may have your own advice column on the Eagle Examiner, what some unprompted advice you have to offer underclassmen as this school year comes to a close (particularly for the juniors)? Always do what’s right and always be kind. I know everyone always hears this all the time, but it’s true. Even if it’s hard, always do what’s right. Twenty years from now, I’d like to look back on my life and know that I always made the honorable/moral choice even if no one else did. Your morals are one thing that no one can take away from you and you should always stick to them, which leads into always being kind. I’ll never forget how a few years ago when my dad was sick the kindness that was shown to me and my family. People made meals for my family, helped transport my brothers and I, and were just extra nice. I don’t think people realize how powerful words are and, as we all know, to the one who is given great power is given an even greater responsibility. We’re all on this Earth for a short time, so we might as well build people up while we’re at it. Mark Twain said, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see,” and I think if we all spoke a little more of this universal language, the world would be a better place.  For juniors, all I have to say is to relax. You’re going to end up exactly where you need to be. Senior year is an awesome experience and you’re not going to want to waste it worrying. It’ll all work out. I promise. You can do this!