The Davis Academy, Class of 2018                                                                                          Dunwoody High School, Class of 2022

I started at The Davis Academy as a Mechina student, excited to be with my brother, Jacob, who was a second-grader. I loved my time at Davis, where I made lifelong friendships and developed many of my core values including the importance of Kavod, Tzedakah and Chochma. Davis is also where I developed my love for pole vaulting.

“My interest in pole vaulting began in 7th grade after I watched Nick West (Class of ’17) compete and set the school record. With the support and encouragement of my teacher and coach, Mr. Barry, I began training as a pole vaulter and fell in love with the sport. By 8th grade, I stopped playing competitive team sports and focused on cross country and track and field. The thrill of running down the runway, planting the pole and flinging myself high into the air and over a bar got me hooked. I’ve been fortunate bto have Mr. Barry as my Coach, at Davis and at Pole Vault Atlanta, where I train year-round. Like his teaching, he is always there to help me get better and fuel my competitive nature to be the best I can be. He has cheered me on when I’ve won competitions, set school records, earned All-American honors at the Junior Olympics, and when I signed my letter of intent to compete next year for the University of Georgia. He was also there for my lows like when I broke a pole and went through a season where I was having trouble actually getting off the ground and vaulting. For me, one of the greatest things about pole vaulting is the comradery. I’ve been fortunate to travel the country and compete against some of the best athletes around. No matter what team you’re on and no matter how well you do, we are always there to cheer on and support each other.
In addition to pole vaulting, academics are very important to me. As a student at Dunwoody High School, I have been on the Principal’s List, was accepted into the National Honor Society, and was one of the first members of the DHS Athletic Honor Society. Outside of academics, I partnered with Josh Issacs (Class of ’18) and started a pressure washing business where we were able to donate $1,000 to Make-A-Wish Foundation over the last two summers. I have also been a part of the Creating Connected Communities (CCC) Leadership Development Program where we bring life-enhancing programs to children in need. As I look toward college, I am excited about the new challenges that I will face in the classroom, but I am most excited about competing on a team with other talented track athletes who will push me to be my best every day with the goal of winning a National Championship. And, one day, I hope to realize my dream of competing for and winning an Olympic medal.”