Although winning Powderpuff two years in a row and winning swimming championships were great high school memories, senior Stephanie Laird is on to bigger and better things after graduation.

Laird is attending Campbell University, a small private college in North Carolina, in the fall and plans to study pharmaceutical sciences.

“I picked Campbell because it’s one of the best schools in the country for my major, and it’s not too big which was one of the main things I was looking for also,” Laird said.

Along with being a sports editor on The Patriot, Laird participated in multiple activities in her high school career such as Book Club, women’s swimming, and Orchestra in her underclassmen years.

“I want to join as many clubs and programs that I can because I want to stay involved [in college]. I’m going to be six hours away from home, so I want to keep myself busy. I am going to be swimming for them during the winter as well,” Laird said.

Laird will also miss the structure of high school and all of the relationships she has created at JC. “College is a whole other world where there are no parents or teachers telling you exactly what to do and when to do it. I know I’ll meet new friends, but I know the friendships I’ve made through JC are life-long,” Laird said.

“I’m most excited just to start a new phase in my life. It’s going to be a different experience, but I know my parents have prepared me to be ready and I’ll be ready to start college on my own,” Laird said.

Caroline Spath is the Multimedia Editor for The Patriot is jcpatriot.com.