Eleven high school seniors – all academically strong with an emphasis on community service – were honored by the Exchange Club of Augusta Thursday.
All were chosen as the Youth of the Year for their high schools in Richmond and Columbia County. And one, Saylor Vick of John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School of Augusta, took the honor as best of the best and won Youth of the Year for both counties. She received $1,200 in scholarship funds from the community service organization.
Vick will study exercise and sports science at the University of Georgia in Athens.
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She attributes her success to hard work.
“I’ve learned it’s not about how talented you are, but how hard you work,” she said moments after receiving the award.
“Saylor is an exceptional student and most importantly a kind and generous person,” said Liz Schow, Vick’s guidance counselor at Davidson.
Vick’s principal, Renee Kelly, added: “Saylor always thinks of others first.”
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Vick taught ballroom dance to children and organized food drives for the Golden Harvest Food Bank of Augusta.
Another standout was Reeya Verma of Lakeside High School in Martinez. She earned the Jefferson scholarship at the University of Virginia where she plans to study pre-med.
Already she is researching public health. She wrote a paper about long-term heart problems for women who contracted the coronavirus and submitted the paper to the Journal of Women’s Heath, but the publication has not yet made a decision about publication, she said.
Verma said for the last four years she has stayed up to midnight almost every night doing homework or work for volunteer organizations.
“I have been pushing really hard,” Verma said.
“So everything paid off,” said her father, Ravi Verma.
Other students honored were Hailey Jordan of Augusta Christian Schools in Martinez, Ty Quarious Richardson of Glenn Hills High School in Augusta, Donny Loebl of Aquinas High School in Augusta, Harrison Rucker of Westminster Schools of Augusta, Hannah Page of Evans High School, Felix Scheyer of the Academy of Richmond County in Augusta, Tysone Radford of Westside High School of Augusta, Luke Rhodes of Harlem High School and Sofie Zeruto of Greenbrier High School in Evans.
Joshua B. Good is a staff reporter covering Columbia County and military/veterans’ issues for The Augusta Press. Reach him at joshua@theaugustapress.com
