This week’s senior spotlight is on a key component of the senior class: Davis Epps. Davis is a lifer at RMA, and his many years of attending the school are exhibited by the strong relationships he has formed with his classmates and teachers. After getting to know Davis for the past few years, I can easily say that he is one of the most interesting people I know. While he playfully describes himself as swift, cunning, and curvaceous, I would say that he is in fact curvaceous in terms of his personality. However, I would also add characteristics such as humorous, thoughtful, reliable, and good-natured. Davis is someone you can rely on whether you are in need of a ride home, an honest opinion, friendly advice, or just someone to talk to. His good friend Reynolds Cobb, states “Davis Epps, also known as Javis, Jave Man, and the Apex Predator, has been a friend and lover since the young age of around 6 years old. Every second with Davis, you fall in love with the guy more and more. My proudest moment of Davis has to be his 1,000 AR point milestone. His name was buried in history as one of the greatest accelerated readers Rocky Mount Academy has ever witnessed. Davis, I love you to the moon and back!”

Academically, Davis is constantly raising the bar for his classmates. For example, last year Davis was awarded the Kay Ellen Writing Award. This year, he is taking the rigorous courses of AP English, AP Economics, AP Psychology, AP Environmental, Honors Calculus, and Ceramics. However, not only does Davis excel in the classroom, but he displays his athletic skills on the tennis and basketball courts and the soccer field. Last year, Davis helped lead his tennis team to an undefeated season and state championship!

Outside of the classroom, Davis is involved in numerous clubs and activities. He is the Vice President of the SGA, is an officer in the Key Club, member of the EC Help Club, and Ducks Unlimited. Davis also dedicates his time to being a part of Gatekeepers and helping his grandad fix rental properties. He mentioned that helping his grandad for most of his life has taught him life lessons such as how to install a new railing, how to install a microwave, and how to stain a wood deck. While these lessons are important, he has also learned value of hard work. In his free time, he enjoys bowling, “professional training in wrestling (in his backyard)”, and most importantly hanging out with his friends.  His good friend Brody Brice comments on their friendship when stating, “I have known Davis since we were crawling around as babies, and I would always beat him up because he is a cupcake. Ever since then, he has held a special place in my heart, and I will always love him. It is easy to say Javis is one of the best RMA has to offer.”

As for the future, Davis has applied to UNC, South Carolina, NC State, and ECU, hoping to eventually become a lawyer so that one day he can “put people like Reynolds Cobb behind bars.” However, no matter where Davis ends up, I am sure that his intelligence and outgoing personality will allow him to succeed in life. Saying goodbye to an RMA lifer is hard enough, but especially since it’s Davis Epps.

Get to know Davis below: 

What is your favorite movie?- Space Jam. The only thing that MJ is better at than LeBron is making movies. 

What is your favorite album?- Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony

Favorite quote?- “The door of mercy will be shut and all bowels of compassion denied, by God, who will laugh at their destruction; by angels and saints, who will rejoice when they see the vengeance’ by their fellow-suffer the devil and the damned rejoicing over their misery.”- Bishop Newcomb

What advice do you leave to those at RMA?- Enjoy your time here with your teachers and friends. The day that I am not able to walk in this school and see Paul Stone’s radiant smile every day will be a sad time indeed. 

Favorite class and why?- Ceramics with the boys is A1. I feel like God making Adam and Eve as I sculpt my creations to their potential. Some have even compared my work to Michelangelo.

What is your favorite memory at RMA?- The time that I had an accident in my pants in second grade during the Pledge of Allegiance. I came to school that day with pride and a clean pair of pants. I left dirty and in disgrace. 

What is something nobody knows about you?- Every month, when the moon reaches its fullest, I become the Apex Predator known as the werewolf and I prance around my yard searching for squirrels. For years I have kept my secret from others, but no longer. I am a danger to others and myself and I must be stopped. 

Who is your role model?- Gotta be Jesus Christ or Adam Levine. One literally lives in heaven and the other has a voice that comes from heaven.