Harrells, NC, February 2, 2018 – As the Senior State Sponsor of the North Carolina Beta Club, HCA biology teacher and club sponsor Mrs. Ruth Ann Parker has an up close perspective on what winning an event at the Senior Beta state convention requires. “Our students are going up against the best from over seventy-five schools in the state,” she says, “and I could not be prouder of how Harrells performed in this year’s competitions.” Last weekend in Greensboro at the 80th annual North Carolina Senior Beta State Convention, HCA students captured the following awards:
1st Place
Language Arts I – Aidan Kunst
Short Story – Lucas Thornton
2nd Place
Language Arts I – Nicole Dixon
Poetry I – O’Neika Williams
Fresh Look At Beta – Zaria Washington, Larson Cashwell, Sophie Dixon, and Savannah Wells
Show Choir – Brayden Sutton, Miranda Wells, Kyra Gensel, Cameron Simpson, Gracy Peterson, Sophie Dixon, Thomas Rhodes, Stefani Boussias, Annabeth Ellis, Madison Cannon, Jeana Grace Bowker, Olivia Toler, Ellie Carone, and Anna Rackley
3rd Place
Character Skit – Brayden Sutton, Miranda Wells, Caroline Jones, Abbigail Clark, Kyra Gensel, MacKenzie Harrell, Cameron Simpson, and Anna Rackley
Top 10
Fiber Arts (4th) – Jean Grace Bowker
Club Trading Pins (5th) – Abbigail Clark, Stefani Boussias, Annabeth Ellis, and Jeana Grace Bowker
Banner (5th) – Brayden Sutton, Kyra Gensel, Ivey Rouse, and O’Neika Williams
Agriculture I (5th) – Mary Lila Blackburn
Science I (5th) – Rhylee Pope
Science II (5th) – Brayden Sutton
Spotlight on Service (6th) – Ellie Carone
Campaign Skit (6th) – produced by Seth Harrell and performed by all students
Group Talent (6th) – all students
Speech (7th) – Gracy Peterson
Premier Performer Award – Abbigail Clark, Caroline Jones, and Ivey Rouse – This award, new to Beta Club this year, invites selected dancers and singers to come to the national convention and rehearse with a professional choreographer for a special performance at both the convention and a “flash mob” in the city of Savannah.
As Beta State Vice President, HCA Senior Cameron Tyler of Dublin, delivered a keynote address about “Exceeding Your Limits” and presided over a leadership session where he was able to share about his Beta experiences and introduce ways that clubs can collaborate and network. For example, through Beta, Cameron has been able to travel to Washington, D.C. to speak with NC representatives on Capitol Hill about the importance of supporting education on and opportunities for students to perform community service.