This week’s senior spotlight focuses on the well known, smiling face of Lillie Daughtridge. Lillie is a key part of making our grade one big, crazy family. As the life of the party, she is the one that gets everyone else excited about things. She has the ability to instantly light up a room that she walks into. Through the thick and thin, Lillie will always be there for her friends and will never fail at making someone laugh. She stands out in a crowd because most people who know Lillie recognize her cheerful attitude and beautiful smile. She is the perfect balance between feisty and friendly. While she is not afraid to speak her mind, she also knows exactly how to make someone’s day a little brighter. Whenever you need a good laugh or someone to talk to, Lillie is your go-to girl.

Lillie has fun inside and outside of the classroom. She takes a variety of classes: AP Ceramics, AP Psychology, Advanced English, AP Biology, Advanced Functions & Models, and American Cultures. Earning the A Honor Roll last year, Lillie has found that her hard work has paid off. Not only does she commit herself to schoolwork, but she also participates in many extracurricular activities. She is a member of First Presbyterian Church of Rocky Mount, which allows her to get involved with community service projects like Gatekeepers. During the week of Gatekeepers, a large number of volunteers are broken down into smaller groups that repair different homes of those in Rocky Mount who are not able to do it themselves. Lillie loves participating in Gatekeepers, deepening her relationships with friends and with the owner(s) of the houses she helps repair. 

As a people lover, Lillie is naturally outgoing and will usually speak to any and everyone within a 50 foot radius of her. She recently worked as an RMA Summer Day Camp counselor, enjoying the time she spent with the little ones. During her summers, she babysits some cuties here at RMA: Thomas Dill and the Kos girls. Lillie has spent most of her summers growing up at Camp Cheerio, her home away from home. She is lucky to have more than one home away from home! If you know Lillie, then you have probably heard her talk about how Montreat is hands down one of her favorite places on Earth. Montreat is a place where Lillie has made lifelong friends over the years and strengthened her relationship with God. She will be sad to leave this place, seeing that the next time she goes on this annual trip will be her last. Lillie has traveled to many other places outside of North Carolina including Mexico, the Bahamas, Scotland, and Ireland. Lillie loves to travel, and one day she wishes to travel the world with her best friends.

A crucial characteristic that makes Lillie unique is her leadership in any group setting. She takes initiative especially when it comes to sports. She loves not only playing sports but supporting them as well. In fact, she is the head of the student section for all athletic events. She continued the Student Booster Club a few years ago with hopes of gaining support from students for all athletic games! This highlights her commitment to her sports and support for her fellow teammates. Lillie plays tennis in the fall, basketball in the winter, and soccer in the spring. It seems like no matter what time of the year it is, Lillie is always doing something active! She has earned the Coaches Award for the past 2 years on the varsity basketball team and the Coaches Award 2 years ago for the varsity soccer team.

Lillie is truly one-of-a-kind. I think most of the senior class would agree with me if I said that Lillie is like no one else I have ever known. Listen to what some of her friends have to say about her. 

“Lillie has been my best friend since we were babies! She’s incredibly fun, sassy, and sweet. I can count on her for anything, especially a good laugh or solid advice. She’s always the one to give people the extra push to try something new. Lillie is a true friend, leader, and candy lover!” – Haven Ross

“I remember the first day Lillie came to RMA during our first grade year in Mrs. Wooten’s class. She was crying, so I went up to her and hugged her and told her everything was going to be okay. We’ve been friends ever since.” -Virginia Wooten

“I have watched Lillie grow from a 9th grader into a young woman, and she has become more kind and generous and hardworking and smart all along the way. There is a good chance I will miss her as much as her mom and dad will when she heads off to college. Lille is one of those students who is going to be hard not to miss.” -Mr. Stancavish

To find out more about Lillie, read the interview below!

1. What is your favorite memory from your time here at RMA?  My favorite memory was definitely winning the JV Girls Basketball Championship. We were undefeated my sophomore year and had the BEST coach ever. Love you Coach J!!
2. What colleges are you applying to? Which one (if you have one) is your first choice and why?  I am applying to UNC-Charlotte, NC State, UNC-Wilmington, ECU, Appalachian, and Meredith. My top choices are UNCW and NC State. I think they would be a good fit for me.
3. What is your favorite candy?  Never met a candy I didn’t like…
4. If you could have lunch with any celebrity, who would it be?  I would love to go to lunch with Michael Scott from the show The Office. We are very similar people.
5. What do you want to be when you grow up?  All I know is that I’m going to be the boss.
6. What is your current favorite song?  Definitely has to be “Only Time” by Enya… Everyone loves when I’m the DJ in the car.
7. Give me one fun fact about yourself.  My favorite part of the summer is going with my youth group on a church retreat to Montreat.
8. What will you miss the LEAST when you leave RMA?  The no phone rule will not be missed.
9. If you had 3 wishes, what would you wish for?  1. For every animal to have a home 2. More chicken biscuit days in the cafeteria 3. Travel around the world with my best friends
10. What is your favorite long lunch destination? Chick-fil-A