Violet Louie Boyd is closing the chapter of her high school career. A loving and kind individual, Louie’s peers feel a great sense of warmth when around her. Kate Fisher, junior, shares, “I would consider Louie to be one of the sweetest souls I have ever met. Throughout the past year, I have seen her offer so many kind words of encouragement to so many people. Whether it be for something as simple as helping someone with their project to offering valuable advice, Louie has a major impact on her peers.”

Though strong in faith, Louie still has some anxiety about graduating. “I detest the unknown. Because of this, graduating and moving on to this new chapter of my life has brought a significant deal of stress. Lately, I have had to remember that God has a plan for me and he is sovereign over everything, and with this in mind, I am very excited to graduate and see what He has in store for me.”

After crossing the stage one final time this spring, she plans to pursue a career as a speech pathologist for local elementary schools. Previous to the start of the semester, Louie received an acceptance letter into Gardener Webb University. “I have wanted to become a speech pathologist since 8th grade. My love of kids and of interacting is a big part of this. I received speech therapy and interacted with several speech pathologists for almost ten years, beginning at the age of three. My parents knew I had a lot to communicate and that I was frustrated with my inability to verbalize, so they taught me sign language and enrolled me in speech therapy. Because of my childhood experiences, I want to love and help kids improve their communication skills and I am excited for the relationships I will make with my students and their families. I chose Gardner-Webb University after a lot of stress over not knowing where to go. I was accepted into Davidson College and had begun to make plans for living and dorms but out of nowhere found a roommate at Gardner-Webb after talking to my parents. I changed my decision and submitted an enrollment deposit for Gardner-Webb. Gardner-Webb is a small Baptist school in Boiling Springs, NC. It has an undergraduate population of 2,000 and a beautiful campus that I’m excited to spend the next four years of my life on.”

Throughout her journey at Woodrow Wilson High School, Louie has participated in many organizations, including the National Honors Society, Student Government, Theatre Performance, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. This year was Louie’s first time being involved in a Woodrow play. “I have never been a part of a theater production until this year. After a bunch of my friends started talking about it, 1 decided I wanted to help out. I asked Mrs. Stack and she put me on the team of techies. I enjoyed getting to know the cast and crew and feel blessed to have been included in such a fun, uplifting group of people.”

Additionally, Louie is also an Advanced Placement Scholar and Top of The Nest award recipient. During moments of freedom, she can be found volunteering at Raleigh General Hospital, playing the upright bass, enjoying the company of her youth group, or giving private dance lessons. Reflecting on her high school career Louie offers advice for all students, “Love others and try your best at whatever you do. Love others first because that is a Christian’s whole purpose: being an example of God’s love toward people. No matter what classes you are in, what sport you play, or what job you have, do your best in it! God gave you an opportunity for a reason, so use the opportunity to the best of your ability.”