This week marks only the fourth week of the school year, but some students and staff are already missing summer. That’s bound to happen when people from our school do so many cool things during their summer vacations! Here, I have included some of the interesting things that the RMA family did this summer.

1. Abigail Newcomb – England

It wouldn’t be a school break without a fun RMA trip! Over the summer, Ms. Knox took a group of students to England, where she spent time studying a few years ago. The group visited Buckingham Palace, Shakespeare’s birthplace, the British Museum, and the Tower of London. And of course, seeing a play or two was a must! The group saw plays like Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, which I’m sure was right up Ms. Knox’s ally, but also an amazing experience for the whole group. Not only was this trip educational, but it was also packed with other fun tourist-like activities. Some other stops included Kensington Gardens (which I have been told is the most magical park ever), Bath, the Roman Baths, and a rooftop spa. Abigail said, “This trip provided great bonding time too; one time Ms. Knox and Virginia didn’t hop on the tube (England’s equivalent to the subway) fast enough, and the rest of us left without them and had to wait at our stop. Good thing we knew how to use the tubes by then! Overall, this trip was one of the best experiences of my life, and I hope I can go back one day!”

2. Jack Pittman – Grand Western Tour

Every year, quite a few RMA students go on Grand Western Tour, an amazing program that allows high school students to see the country and make lifelong friends. This past summer, Jack Pittman was one of several students to take the 5 week long bus tour with 80 other 14-15 year olds. The trip included stops at places like Seattle, San Francisco, and the Grand Canyon. When asked about the trip, Jack said “The Western Tour is a one of a kind experience. I had so much on the trip meeting new people and visiting places I may never see again.”

3. Haven Ross – Costa Rica

Over the summer, Haven Ross went on a mission trip to Costa Rica.

She and a group of other teenagers from Rocky Mount travelled with First United Methodist church to Golfito to tear out walls and insulation in a church. In their free time, they also got to see beautiful beaches, rainforests, and rivers full of alligators! Haven encourages everyone to come on the trip with her next year!

4. Thorne Pruden – Naval Academy

Thorne Pruden travelled to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland for a track and field camp where he spent four days and three nights in the life of a Naval Academy track and field athlete. He was coached by the discus coach alongside two students that threw for the college. A typical day for Thorne consisted of waking up early, getting a good breakfast, going to a 3 hour track practice, breaking for lunch before another 3 hours of practice, and then dinner. After dinner, Thorne and the other athletes had time to socialize before lights out. On the last day, Thorne had the chance to show off all of his hard work in an inner camp track meet. He participated in discus and shot-put, winning 1st and 2nd places respectively.

5. Will Stewart – Baseball

In case anyone didn’t know, Will Stewart committed to UNC-Chapel Hill for baseball this past summer! All of his hardwork and commitment to the sport has allowed him to do this, and his work did not stop over the summer either. From the time that school ended in May to when it started back up in August, Will was packing in any baseball oriented opportunity that he was offered. Beginning in May and ending in June, Will played with the Canes Central 17-U baseball team for 6 weekend tournaments. The team travelled all over the state and played on college fields. In June he was selected to represent Region 1 in the Powerade State baseball games and played in a tournament in Greensboro. The Powerade State baseball games were followed by a week of college recruitment trips, which ended in Will’s acceptance of the offer from UNC to play baseball as a catcher and on 3rd base. After a short two week break, he travelled to Atlanta to play baseball in the WWBA Perfect Games for a week. He came home and received an offer to play in the East Coast Pro games and spent a week of August in Hoover, Alabama. East Coast Pro games is a week long MLB showcase which only 150 of the best high school baseball players on the East coast are invited to. And finally, the week before school Will had the opportunity to go to a Yankees workout in Charlotte. In the words of Will, I guess you could say he “definitely played a little baseball this summer.”