Six seniors have been nominated to represent Darlington in the Rome Noon Optimist Club Student of the Year competition. Leslie Atkins has been nominated in the Community Involvement category, Bailey Brock in All-Around, Jane Campbell in Athletics, Grace Greene in Life Hero, Remy Jennings in Academics and Will Warren in Creative Arts.
Atkins has taken one Honors course, and is a member of Spanish National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society and Concert Choir. She is also president of the “Y” Cabinet and has served on Darlington’s Servant Leadership Committee for two years, helping to plan community service activities for the Upper School student body. Atkins can often be seen volunteering after school at the Boys & Girls Club and the Open Door Children’s Home with her peers. As a sophomore, she and another student spearheaded “Put a Lid on Autism,” selling baseball caps to build awareness about autism and raise money to purchase laptop computers for autistic high school students in the Floyd County Schools system. For the past three years, she has also volunteered her time with special-needs children at Unity Christian School’s Buddy Break. She is the daughter of Dr. John and Christie Atkins of Rome.
Brock, an AP Scholar with Honor, has taken 22 AP and Honors courses. She is a member of the Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Honor Council, “Y” Cabinet and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She also serves as an Admission Tiger Expert, a spiritual life liaison and vice president of the House Senate. A three-sport athlete, Brock is a four-year starter in volleyball, basketball and lacrosse. As a team captain, she has led the volleyball team to four state berths. Additionally, her contributions to the ladies’ basketball team, of which she is also a team captain, have placed the Lady Tigers in the Top 10 in state playoffs for the last three years. She has been named to numerous All-Area and All-Region teams during her athletic career. Brock has received the Wellesley Book Award, the University of Georgia Merit Certificate, the Furman Scholar Award, the Wofford Scholar Award, the Centre College Fellow Award, and was also selected to be Darlington’s nominee for the Morehead-Cain Scholars Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was also named Homecoming Queen this fall. She is the daughter of Dawn and Harry Brock of Rome.
Campbell has taken seven AP and Honors courses, and is a member of National Honor Society and Darlington School Soccer Academy. Competing at the national level since she was 14, Campbell has claimed a spot as one of a talented crop of current U.S. U17 Women’s National Team goalkeepers. She has seen great success on the field at international events like CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) and the U17 Women’s World Cup in 2012. This fall, she was one of only five nominees for U.S. Soccer’s 2012 Young Female Athlete of the Year award and the only nominee still in high school. Campbell, who was also called a “future game changer” in the July 2012 issue of Sports Illustrated, was named 2012 Player of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. She was also named to the NSCAA/Adidas All-America Team in 2011. In addition to her role as goalkeeper for Soccer Academy, Campbell is a member of Concorde Fire South in Kennesaw. She has committed to play soccer at Stanford University after she graduates from Darlington this spring. She is the daughter of Chris and Mike Campbell of Kennesaw, Ga.
Greene, an AP Scholar, has taken 19 AP and Honors courses. She is an academic prefect and a servant leadership liaison, and also enjoys playing golf and tennis. She was named Student of the Year as a sophomore at Eagle’s Landing High School in her hometown of McDonough, Ga., and has received Darlington’s Sewanee Club Award and E.L. Wright Award for AP Biology (awarded to the student with the highest average). She enjoys volunteering her time at community organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club, McHenry Primary School, Rome Little Theater and Rome Action Ministries. She is the daughter of Robin and Gerald Greene of McDonough, Ga.
Jennings, an AP Scholar with Honor, has taken 20 AP and Honors courses. She is a member of the Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Spanish National Honor Society, the Servant Leadership Committee and Georgia Junior Academy of Science. She is also a Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle leader and a member of the varsity basketball, cross country and track teams. While at Darlington, Jennings has received numerous honors and accolades, including the Daniel P. Hanks Medal, the Phi Beta Kappa Book Award, the Harvard Club Award, the Rhodes College Book Award, the A.J. Huffman Memorial Award, the Georgia Certificate of Merit, the Wofford Scholar Award, the Furman Scholar Award, the Presidential Volunteer Service Award and E.L. Wright Awards for AP Chemistry, AP U.S. History, AP English Language and Composition, Pre-Calculus Honors, Spanish 5 Honors, AP World History, Spanish 4 Honors, Chemistry Honors, Algebra 2 Honors, Intro to Computers, English 1 Honors, Ancient World History Honors, Geometry Honors and Spanish 3 Honors (awarded to the student with the highest average). She is the daughter of Linda and Russ Jennings of Rome.
Warren, an AP Scholar with Honor, has taken 21 AP and Honors courses. He is a member of National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, the Random Notes a cappella singing group and the varsity tennis team. This year, he is president of the Concert Choir, vice president of The Darlington Players and the Honor Council, and secretary of the Y-Cabinet. He also participates in All-State Chorus and All-State Reading Chorus each year. Warren has garnered the male lead role in the winter musical for the past two years – currently starring as Danny Zuko in Darlington’s production of “Grease” – and has received the E.L. Wright Award for Men’s Chorale (awarded to the student with the highest average). He is the son of Dr. Ben and Ann Warren of Cartersville, Ga.
Student of the Year winners will be announced at the Student of the Year Banquet on Monday, Feb. 25, at 6 p.m. Finalists, their parents and school representatives are invited to attend.
