​The end of the school year is just around the corner and seniors from around the nation are preparing to leave high school behind and start looking towards their next chapter in their lives. Before they do that Spartanburg High School seniors look back on their four years, remembering the good times and all the hard work they put into earning their diploma.
Three SHS seniors, Anna Buchert, Aaron Grieshop and Hannah Keen, are exemplary examples of scholars who used their high school years to prepare for their future. All of these Vikings excelled in and out of school, from taking advantage of AP classes, to managing their time with sports, to earning high academic accolades.
Buchert is excellent both inside of school and inside the pool, where she swims for Spartanburg High School. She went to state this year to compete in the butterfly event and finished third. Along with her numerous AP classes, Buchert has also participated in Mu Alpha Theta, Beta Club and National Honor Society.
Johnna Freestone, head swim coach at Spartanburg High School, is proud of how Buchert balances her schoolwork along with her athletics.
“Anna is one of the most dedicated athletes and students with whom I have had the privilege of coaching. Her practice schedule is so demanding, and yet she is able to maintain a perfect GPA while taking almost all Honors and AP classes. She is a well-respected member of the SHS Swim Team, her club swim team, her summer swim team, and the SHS student body. I am so proud of her and can’t wait to see what she does at Lenoir-Rhyne!” Freestone said.
Buchert’s amazing resume includes being named as the Clark AP Scholar, Outstaning French student and Language Arts Honor student. She is also the recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa award and scholarship. After graduation, she is going to swim at Lenoir-Rhyne University and intends to study biological sciences and political sciences.
Grieshop is another Viking with a long list of academic and extra-curricular achievements. He recently earned the Math Faculty award as well as was named the Harold M. Jeter, Sr. Scholarship recipient. Grieshop, along with Buchert, were also both voted on by classmates as “Most Intellectual.” He is also an important member of the Academic Team. Grieshop plans to attend the College of Charleston in the fall.
Academic Team adviser Katie Baymiller appreciates Grieshop’s constant desire to seek out new information.
“Aaron Grieshop is is the biggest brain on our team of big brains. He was a top finisher individually in all three of the tournaments that we participated in. His range of knowledge is impressive – from math and science to history and literature. More importantly, his positive outlook – win or lose – has kept the team upbeat and fun,” Baymiller said.
Keen attends The Scholars Academy, which is a partnership between Spartanburg County Schools and USC Upstate, where students can take college classes full time during high school. The Scholars Academy offers an accelerated education plan and up to two years of college credit for high schoolers upon graduation.
There is a rigorous application and interview process to even be accepted. Keen has shown her incredible aptitude by being accepted and excelling there. Keen has started the Crochet Club while at The Scholars Academy to teach her fellow scholars how to crochet.
Additionally, Keen was recognized as a National Merit Scholar Finalist. The award is difficult to achieve, as there is only a 0.5 percent chance of becoming a National Merit Scholar, showing how hard Keen worked for the award.
Melissa Deloach is Keen’s administrator, English teacher and her college coach at The Scholars Academy. Deloach has known Keen for four years.
“Hannah Keen is in the top ten seniors in the Scholars Academy. She is an incredible student who is an indepth, complex thinker and college-level writer. She will graduate from high school with 90 college credits which are transferable to other colleges as she pursues a degree in chemistry. A Palmetto Fellows recipient, Hannah is also a National Merit Finalist and was recently awarded the top scholarship by the Honors College at the University of South Carolina,” Deloach said.