If there is one person in the senior class that embodies the spirit of RMA, that person would definitely be Virginia Grey Newton. Everyone knows Virginia Grey for her outgoing personality, killer sense of humor, and welcoming heart. Along with those qualities, she also possesses many qualities that everyone wishes they had: athleticism, kindness, intelligence, and leadership (plus, so many more!) Virginia Grey is truly a friend to all, which is evident through her connection to people of all ages. Her lower school buddy is always excited to see her, adults stop her to have a nice conversation, her athletic coaches respect her endlessly because of her ability to step up and take charge, and she has made many personal connections with people in the different grades in the school. It seems as if Virginia Grey has been at RMA since Pre-K; however, she has only been here since 6th grade, so it is notable that she was able to make all these connections and make herself a staple member of the graduating class in such a short period of time. 

Virginia Grey never fails to amaze others with her dedication to her studies. She keeps an extremely rigorous course load filled with AP and honors classes. This year, she is taking Honors Spanish IV, AP Calculus, AP English 12, AP Statistics, AP Psychology, and American Cultures. Although she has an extremely busy schedule, Virginia Grey does not let her time spent learning get cut short. If she wants to pursue more knowledge about or practice a subject, you would be able to find her in teachers’ classrooms fulfilling that. During her time at RMA, she has received numerous academic awards, including: Straight A Honors (9th, 10th, 11th), Highest Academic Average in Honors Precalc (11th), and Highest Academic Average in Honors Algebra II (10th). In her free time at RMA, Virginia Grey is the SGA president, as well as a member of the Youth and Government Club, National Honors Society, Spanish National Honors Society, Senior Beta Club, and Key Club. Up next in Virginia Grey’s ever busy life is one thing all seniors have in common: college. She applied to NC State University (she is also a finalist for the Park Scholarship), Campbell University, and Meredith College, all as an intended business major.

Once the final bell rings, Virginia Grey can usually be found at some sort of sports practice. In the spring, she dedicates her time to soccer practice. During the winter, she dedicates her time to swim practice, including the torturous 5:00 am practices on Wednesday mornings. For both teams, Virginia Grey shows leadership both at the games/swim meets and at practices; she is always giving an encouraging word or giving a helping hand when needed for her teammates. Because of this, Virginia Grey has rightfully earned the Coach’s Award for swimming for her sophomore and junior years.

Outside of school, Virginia Grey is usually babysitting or trying to find something to do outside. She loves going to the beach or her grandparent’s river house. She also enjoys hiking, but whatever it is she usually tries to do it with her friends or family. Even though she enjoys doing extracurricular activities like hunting, skiing, and camping, her favorite extracurricular activity that she has been a part of was her church’s mission trip to Belize, where their mission team partners with schools in Southern Belize. During the trip, they do construction work, tutoring, dental/medical care, and life skills and leadership development programs. Virginia Grey has been working with Kidz Konnect since 2012 and loves that they are able to form lasting relationships with the students and community members. She is extremely thankful that it is a program she can stay involved with throughout her life. 

If you do not know, Virgina Grey also spends her summers tucked away in eastern North Carolina at Camp Don Lee. Like many other people who attend summer camps, Don Lee has become Virginia Grey’s second home. Since I knew how much she loves and cherishes her time at camp, I asked her what her favorite memory has been. She replied with, “My favorite memory from camp would have to be when we sailed to Cape Lookout and spent a couple of nights there camping on the beach. In the middle of the night, my entire group went swimming and the water was glowing. We could also see so many stars in the sky.”

Virginia Grey is a wonderful part of the Class of 2021, and I truly believe that she is irreplaceable. Without her presence in this class, we would have missed out on the endless jokes, kind words, and fantastic soccer skills. Thank you for being you Virginia Grey, without you I am not sure where the seniors would be. RMA is going to miss your charming personality and kind spirit after you leave. Your RMA family loves you and knows you will do great things!

To get to know this week’s senior even more, read the interview below!

1. Describe your dream vacation. I would absolutely love to have the chance to charter a sailboat and island hop around the Greek Islands.
2. What is your favorite movie/tv show? My favorite movie is either Clueless or A Few Good Men and my favorite show is either The Musketeers or Smallville.
3. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In 10 years, I see myself being married and taking as many opportunities as possible to travel with my husband. I also hope to have an awesome job in NC and possibly start to begin a family.
4. Where was your favorite place to get long lunch from? I’d have to say Sonic because it was super easy and we could always sit outside when it was warm. Plus, they have the best mozzarella sticks!
5. What is something most people don’t know about you? I think most people don’t know that I love water sports like sailing and white water kayaking.
6. Who is your role model? I really look up to an older lady at my church named Ms. Henriann Allegood. She is always looking for a way to help others and spread as much joy as possible, which I absolutely love. She is so energetic and genuine. You would think that she is in her 20s by how active she is. What sticks out the most though is how much she loves and has faith in the Lord. I truly hope to be like her when I am older.
7. What is your biggest pet peeve? Slow drivers in the fast lane.
8. Favorite memory from RMA? Either senior night and senior picture day or walking into Mr. Stone’s AP US History class with the song “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum playing and a picture of Rob Lowe on the board.
9. Favorite class taken at RMA? My favorite class would have to either be American Cultures or AP Government, both of which are with Mr. Stone.
10. Do you have any advice for underclassmen? Don’t procrastinate. In the long run, there is a lot less stress. Also, try to get your teachers to like you. It helps with grades and recommendation letters when needed.