Friday morning’s Student and Residential Life Awards came with a twist.
Dean of Students Drew Hyche ’94 got emotional talking about the resiliency, grit, and patience he has seen out of the boys since Hurricane Helene ravaged Western North Carolina.
“You all, these past three weeks … I’ve been here 25 years,” Mr. Hyche said.
“I’ve lived through the blizzard of 1993 when I was a student, lived through 9/11 here and saw how our community came together, COVID, Hurricane Ivan in 2004. This, the past three weeks, are truly amazing. Ya’ll have us beat. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s out of this world. It is what a Greenie is, the Long Green line. We all couldn’t be more proud of you, so keep it up. Stand up, you are the Students of the Month.”
Friday’s individual awards came from nominations submitted anonymously by the faculty. Their comments are in quotations.
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
Zachary Price ‘26
“This student demonstrates Academic Rigor to a T. He never settles in the classroom, he has a knack for the love of learning. With our second pillar (Leadership), from Day 1, he has been on time for job and goes over and beyond to take care of his duties. He never takes shortcuts. And he is happy to help his fellow classmates. Not only does he work hard, but he does it with a cheerful smile.”
Eric Li ‘26
“You’ve heard of the phrase, ‘it’s time to turn over a new leaf.’ This student has done that and not looked back. The Student Life office has spent many times tracking down this student, trying to find out why he’s late or missing a daily obligation. We have not had to do that at all this school year … maybe once. But a complete change in this new, now rock star. He’s on a mission. He’s where he is supposed to be, when he’s supposed to be.”
ROOMMATES OF THE MONTH
Owen Johnson ‘28 and Craver Stout ‘28
“These two are great communicators, especially when it comes to expectations within their living space. They have great mutual respect for each other and treat each other the way they want to be treated.”
SENIOR LEADER OF THE MONTH
Pete Boatwright ‘25
“This guy is very kind, always helpful. He’s doing what he is always supposed to be doing, goes out of the way to get to know the guys in his dorm, and is a calming presence both in the dorms and on the baseball field as well.”
JOB PROCTOR OF THE MONTH
Serg Kitt ‘25
“This student is always willing to step in. He’s an extremely hard worker. He is there when guys are having trouble with their job, he steps in and helps them out. And I’ve also heard people say he is that guy.”