[slideshow_deploy id=’61715′]For senior Davis Coleman being named salutatorian was a calculated and well planned goal.
“My greatest struggle during high school was to decide which class to get a B in. Since there are so many valedictorians and only one salutatorian, I figured the latter was more prestigious. I eventually chose Spanish II my freshman year,” Coleman said.
Humor aside, Coleman spent four hard years working to gain this achievement.
“It was nice after a lot of hard work to be recognized,” Coleman said.
Despite receiving his only B in Spanish II, Coleman cites HOPE as his hardest class.
“Through a lot of training, even doing two-a-days at one point, and a lot of guidance from Coach K , my mentor, I managed to excel,” Coleman said.
One moment that stands out to Coleman, is from his freshman year.
“I was called into discipline out of the blue for something I wasn’t involved in. And I was suspended. I came back to class close to tears,” Coleman said. “It was later revoked.”
On top of his academics, Coleman was also a member of several organizations on campus, including Young Republicans, Automotive Club, National Honor Society, Math Club, Mu Alpha Theta vice president, Fitness Club president, and he played tennis and ran cross-country all four years. In fact running is one of Coleman’s greatest achievements besides being named salutatorian.
“[My biggest achievement aside from this is] probably running a marathon. Not many high schoolers can say they have done that,” Coleman said.
It was the Jacksonville Marathon and Coleman had not been running for three months prior to the competition. In fact, he didn’t train at all.
“It’s my attitude to do spur of the moment things. My sister wanted to enter and I wanted to beat her.”
After high school Coleman plans on attending the University of Georgia and majoring in biochemistry.
“I’m thinking about researching complex carbohydrates,” Coleman said.