(Editor’s note: The Southside Sentinel submitted questionnaires to all members of Middlesex High School’s Class of 2020. The Sentinel asked them what they planned to do after graduation, what they thought they would be doing 10 years from now and what K-12 teacher they would thank the most and why. The following are all the responses we received. They appear in alphabetical order.
Wilasha Ackies:
“My plan after high school is to attend community college.
“Ten years from now I will be working in the nursing field.
“I would like to thank everybody who has helped me along the way.”
Breanna Bailey:
“After high school, I will be a full-time welder and will start my own business.
“In 10 years, I will own my own welding company, I’ll be doing well in life and will be succeeding!
“I would like to thank Ms. Giberson for being my go-to teacher for anything.”
Sarah Baker:
“After graduation, I will attend RCC.
“Ten years from now I will be working and hopefully moved out of home.”
Alex Bullock:
“I will join the Navy after high school.
“In 10 years I will be living in the mountains with my wife and kids.
“I would like to thank Mrs. Larson, Mrs. Bray, Mrs. Fleet, Mrs. Duke, Melinda Hart, and all my best friends, they know who they are!”
Katherine Campbell:
“Next year I will attend RCC for two years and then I will transfer to a four-year college to study education.
“In 10 years I will be working.
“I would like to thank Coach Anderson.”
Dameon Carnell:
“I plan to go to RCC next year for Diesel and Automotive Mechanics to learn to work on all types of vehicles.
“In 10 years I will be working in my own shop helping to fix people’s cars and trucks and restore classic cars.
“I would like to thank Gloria Warren, Mrs. Barksdale, and Mrs. Morning for helping me push myself to do my best.”
Kinsana Carter:
“Next year I will be in cosmetology school.
“In 10 years I will own my own cosmetology business.
“I would like to thank Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. Reinhardt.”
Alex Crittenden:
“I will be an apprentice with Griffin Air next year.
“In 10 years I will own my own HVAC company.
“I would like to thank all of the teachers and staff who made these 12 years worthwhile and for helping me find my calling in life.”
Michael David Croxton:
“I will be joining the United States Air Force after graduation.
“In 10 years I hopefully will be pursuing a career in the Air Force.
“I would like to thank all of my teachers and especially Mr. Macky Hall.”
Cameron Cutler:
“Next year I will attend college and then become a teacher in English or history.
“In 10 years I will be teaching young minds to understand and enjoy the world around them.
“I would like to thank all of my teachers for helping me make it this far.”
Taniaya Dandridge:
“I will be going to college.
“In 10 years I don’t know yet, but we will in 10 years.”
Amber Nichole Daughtry:
“My plan after high school is to attend Rappahannock Community College to obtain my RN.
“Ten years from now, I would like to be working as a Pediatric and Trauma RN and still volunteer as a firefighter.
“I would like to thank all my teachers who have loved and supported me through my educational journey. I wouldn’t have gotten where I am if it wasn’t for all of Middlesex County Public Schools’ support.”
Bryan Diggs:
“Next year I plan on joining the Marines and in 10 years I will be a truck driver.”
Ciarra Freeman:
“I am going to college and will be working in 10 years.
“I want to thank my teachers and my family.”
Sierra Funk:
“I am attending the University of Virginia in the fall. I hope to obtain a degree in chemical engineering.
“Ten years from now I hope to have graduated with honors and have moved on to a master’s degree. In the workforce I want to develop sustainable energies and materials.
“Really, I would like to thank all of my high school teachers. They all have shaped me to be the person I am today, and I’m glad for it.”
Sydney Funk:
“After high school, I plan on attending James Madison University to earn a bachelor of music in music education.
“In 10 years I hope to teach high school band or orchestra in a well established school system.
“I would like to thank Mr. Waylett, Mrs. Belby, Mr. Warren, Mrs. Guill, and Mrs. Wilhite for encouraging my love for music and helping me pursue music as a major.”
Jo’Mari Gonzalez:
“Next year I plan to attend college.
“In 10 years I will be married with kids.
“I want to thank my mom and Mrs. Aliff.”
Andrew Gwyn:
“I would like to weld for a contractor at the shipyard after graduation.
“In 10 years I see myself with a family living in a small house.
“I would like to thank Lee Anderson for helping me with having an interest in history.”
Marissa Halbig:
“I will attend a two-year college for a degree in business management and hopefully attend a four-year college to major in fine arts.
“In 10 years I have no idea, hopefully living on my own with a steady source of income and a happy life.
“I would like to thank all my principals for being there with me through all the years I grew and helped me develop into the individual I am today. I would also like to thank my mom and dad and Ms. Lowe.”
Kaylee Hall:
“I plan to become a nurse.
“In 10 years I will be a nurse.
“I would like to thank Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. Luckett.”
Matthew Hart:
“I will attend RCC for two years and then transfer to the Apprentice School.
“In 10 years I will be working in welding in North Carolina.
“I would like to thank my parents.”
Lyndsey Holmes:
“After high school I want to be a family therapist.
“In 10 years I will be working with families.
“I would like to thank my English teachers and everyone else.”
Tristan Johnson:
“I will go to RCC and get my HVAC certification.
“In 10 years I will be working a lot.
“I would like to thank all my teachers and my parents for helping me get this far.”
Danielle Jones:
“My plan after high school is to go to RCC for two years for nursing and then transfer to a university to finish.
“In 10 years I see myself still hanging around Middlesex County.
“I would love to thank Ms. Baltrusaitis for helping me through every single moment in high school.”
Faith Jones:
“I will be going to RCC for psychology/social work before moving onto VCU to become a trauma counselor/art therapist.
“In 10 years, I’d like to be on my way to helping many people feel safe, become happier with themselves, helping with their overall problems and just being happy myself for helping them.
“I would definitely give a big thank you to Mrs. Giberson for believing in me and making me see my worth, and a big thank you to Ms. Lowe for helping me find my way with my art and helping me through some of the hardest times in high school. Also Ms. Kale and Mrs. Ashburn for being there for me and making me laugh. Thank you to all of you for helping me become who I am!”
Tyrell Key:
“Attending four year college (George Mason) with BS in Cyber Security Engineering and Computer Science, then pursuing an MA in Computer Science.
“In 10 years I’ll be gazing at the snow-capped mountains from my front yard, which is hard to see because it’s actually an island with its own economy and political structure, because I made a country.
“I would like to thank the person reading this, as you have contributed to my success in some way, shape or form.”
Gerren Lee:
“I am going to RCC.
“In 10 years I will possibly be working for myself.
“I would like to thank my family and all of my math teachers.”
Shelby Lewis:
“I will be attending Christopher Newport University and majoring in biology.
“In 10 years I hope that I will be a doctor.
“I would like to thank my parents and all of my teachers.”
Austin Lucas:
“Next year I will be working.
“In 10 years I will be somewhere working.
“I would like to thank my teachers.”
Ethan Marshall:
“Next year I will attend a college that offers what I’m looking for.
“In 10 years hopefully I will be in a better position than I am right now.
“I would like to thank all of Middlesex High School.”
Jacob Marx:
“I will go to RCC for business classes and get straight to work.
“In 10 years I see myself owning my own business and have my family getting started.
“I would like to thank every teacher who has taught me or even just helped me out throughout these years.”
Bradley Miller:
“I am going to Longwood University and will get a degree in cyber security.
“In 10 years I will be working federally in the cyber security field.
“I would like to thank Mrs. Luckett, Mr. Millard, my Bridging Communities teachers, and Dr. Trextler at Bridging.”
Colby Mitchem:
“I will go to college and make money.
“In 10 years hopefully I will be making money and having fun.
“I would like to thank all my teachers and my principal.”
Mckenzie Motley:
“After high school, I would like to start an apprenticeship with a tattoo parlor.
“In 10 years I’d like to be living in Canada in my own little apartment, working in a tattoo parlor and selling my artwork.
“Obviously I’d like to thank my family for putting up with me. I want to thank my elementary, middle, and high school teachers. I want to thank Ms. Catanese, my fourth and fifth grade teacher, for helping me get through my benchmarks in Math and Science. I also want to thank Ms. Lowe, Ms. Barker, and Mr. Graveline for always being able to make me laugh and smile when I was having the worst days.”
Tiffany Mott:
“I plan to attend RCC for two years and later transfer and get a degree in elementary education (K-2).
“In 10 years from now I plan to be teaching in an elementary school classroom.
“I would like to thank all my teachers and coaches for helping me through all the years and helping me when I was being stubborn, especially Mrs. Jill Shores, Ms. Brindley Lowe, Mrs. Claire Evans, Ms. Robin Singleton, and Mrs. Tammy Walls!”
Landon Norwood:
“I will join the family business after graduation.
“In 10 years I will own my own business.
“I would like to thank Mrs. Ashberry; she was the best and most dedicated teacher.”
Autumn Ortman:
“I want to become an elementary school teacher and pursue my dream of becoming an administrator and becoming a superintendent. I see myself sitting in a beautifully decorated classroom working towards getting my doctorate to become a superintendent.
“I would like to thank Mrs. Susan Fleet. She is the best role model I have ever had. She pushed me through times I didn’t think I could get through, and she never gave up on me.”
Cloey Palmore:
“I will attend RCC and get my basic classes done and then transfer to a four year college.
“Hopefully in 10 years I will have a good full time job and be on my own. I want to thank all of my teachers for teaching me what I know and my grandparents.
“I would also like to thank the bus drivers as well.”
Dylan Price:
“I am joining the military.
“In 10 years I will be in the military with my wife and kids on a big farm.
“I want to thank all of my teachers, everyone who ever doubted me, and myself.”
Abigail Purcell:
“After high school, I am going to Rappahannock Community College to do my prerequisites and then I plan to go to Riverside College of Health Careers to get my degree in Radiologic Technology.
“Ten years from now I would like to be an ultrasound technician.
“I want to thank my mom. I feel so honored and blessed to have you as my mom, and want to express my gratitude for your care and support over the years. Thank you for instilling me with a strong passion for learning and for doing everything possible to put me on the path to greatness. I will never forget the important values you have passed down to me — particularly perseverance and honesty. Words cannot describe how important you are to me. Nonetheless, I know how much you sacrificed for me. I feel so honored to be graduating from Middlesex High School. This achievement would not have been possible without your support—both emotional and financial. There are no better words to use today than, ‘Thank you, Mom.’ You have given me the greatest gift of all: an education, the best legacy that a mom can pass on to their child. Thank you so much for believing in me. You are the best mom in the world.”
Hunter Purcell:
“I am going to RCC for two years then transferring to Virginia Tech to major in physics and minor in astronomy. Then I will go on to get my PhD in physics. Where I go depends on what professor is studying what. Then I plan to go to space.
“In 10 years I will be training to prepare myself for going to space.
“I would like to thank all of my family and anyone who supported me. Of my classmates I’d specifically like to thank Will Holt for always pushing me to go farther in a competitive manner, and I’d like to thank Colby Williams for always being there for me. I’d like to thank Edgar Gonzalez for always keeping things interesting, and Marisa Halbig for being a pain in my side.”
Jaden Reed:
“I will be attending Christopher Newport University and will be participating in football.
“In 10 years I will be an athletic trainer.
“I would like to thank Kelly Thomas, Susan Fleet, Mrs. Sanders, Coach Lee Anderson, and Coach Joel Anderson.”
Vivian Reinhardt:
“I am attending the University of Mary Washington this fall, and I plan to major in historic preservation.
“I see myself working at a museum either in Washington, D.C., or somewhere abroad in 10 years.
“I would like to thank everyone who pushed me to be a better person and student.”
Cole Ruark:
“After graduation I will wrestle at the Newport News Apprentice School and then join the Navy.
“In 10 years I will own a house somewhere.
“I’d like to thank my teachers, my friends, and my coaches.”
Kassidy Sears:
“I will be attending RCC for nursing.
“In 10 years I will be living life.
“I would like to thank Mrs. Luckett for helping me get done.”
Zachary Salmon:
“I will be attending trade school after graduation.
“In 10 years I will be working.
“I would like to thank all of my teachers and school staff.”
Amber Self:
“I plan to attend Old Dominion University after high school and major in international business.
“Ten years from now I see myself traveling the world and being rich. The rest is beyond me. I would like to thank all of my teachers throughout school and my very supportive family.
“Awlso, I would like to thank all of my coaches especially Coach Wake and Coach Traynham.”
George Shaw:
“I plan on getting an engineering degree from Virginia Tech and using it to its full potential.
“In 10 years I will have a steady job that I enjoy.
“I would like to thank any teacher or staff member of Middlesex County Public Schools who has impacted my life in any way.”
Adam Smith:
“I am going to work for my dad at Ryman’s AC and heating after high school.
“In 10 years I will have a welding job with a house of my own.
“I would like to thank everyone who has got me this far in life, from school teachers to my family.”
Katelyn N. Smith:
“After high school I will be attending Christopher Newport University and will be majoring in Social Work.
“In 10 years, I hope to see myself as a substance abuse social worker helping people who struggle with substance abuse, which is a struggle that I see too much of today and would like to change.
“In my 13 years of school, I would like to thank my grandma (Linda Smith) who was always there for me and pushed me every day. I would also like to thank all of my teachers who pushed me along the way as well.”
Cole Stamm:
“I will attend Randolph Macon in the fall and play on the baseball team while majoring in business and communications.
“In 10 years I will work in the front office of a major sports team.
“I would like to thank Mrs. Fleet, my teachers, and my boys for sticking with me.”
Taylor Titus:
“After graduation I will be in photography doing weddings and maternity.
“In 10 years I will have my own studio and be married with three kids.
“I would like to thank Mrs. Ashberry, Mrs. Sears, and Mrs. Mauney.”
Brandon Ward:
“My plan is to attend the Apprentice School and work in the shipyard.
“In 10 years I see myself working in the shipyard and living in a big home.
“I would like to thank Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. Thompson for always checking on me and helping me with my work.”
Jordan Ward:
“I will attend Hollins University in the fall.
“In 10 years I will be some kind of therapist.
“I would like to thank my parents.”
Davion Washington:
“I plan to go in the army.
“I see myself in the army in 10 years.
“I would like to thank all of my teachers for teaching me everything and I learned a lot. All of you are good role models.”
Legend Watson:
“I plan to go in the military or work at the shipyard after graduation.
“In 10 years I will have my own place and be making a lot of money.
“I would like to thank my teachers because I wouldn’t have made it without them.”
Scott Whit:
“I haven’t decided quite yet what I will do after high school.
“In 10 years I hopefully will be working to support my family.
“I’d like to thank everyone that has supported me through this journey.”
Victoria White:
“I will either run a daycare or go into psychology.
“In 10 years, I will be 28 years old, own my own house, maybe have kid, and living on my own efficiently.
“I would like to thank my family for being there for me through everything.”
Colby Williams:
“I am going to RCC and figure out what I’d like to do long term or go in the Marines as my back up plan.
“In 10 years I’d like to see myself doing well and have a job I like to do to support myself and others in my life.
“I’d like to thank my mom and dad for taking care of me so great and also I’d like to thank Colby Mitchem. He’s pushed me to play soccer and always has been here for me ever since fourth grade when we became friends.”
Jacob Winn:
“Attend Roanoke College and obtain my bachelor’s degree in computer science along with being on their swim team.
“In 10 years I plan to be settled in my own house with a decent car and most of debt paid off — as a computer engineer and doing graphic design on the side.
“I would thank David Croxton and Alex Bushey for being my best friends since Kindergarten and helping me become a better person and man up. Macky Hall for giving really good advice in life and affecting how I act upon different situations. Ethan Marshall for being his own definition of funny and determined and made me feel more like I belonged. The list goes on but these 4 stood out to me the most.”
Taylor Witcher:
“After high school I will go to work.
In 10 years I will be rich.
“I’d like to thank my family.”
Samantha Wright:
“I will attend Christopher Newport to become a teacher.
“In 10 years I will be teaching at an elementary school.
“I’d like to thank Kelly McMurtrie, Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Murfee, Mrs. Shores, and Mrs. Durrette.”
