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Anderson, Pritt take top honors at BCHS
 | | Caitlin Anderson BCHS Valedictorian and Joseph "Joey" Pritt, BCHS Salutatorian |
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WARM SPRINGS - Caitlin Anderson and Joseph "Joey" Pritt have been named Bath County High School's 2008 valedictorian and salutatorian.
Anderson is the daughter of Jewell and Sandra Anderson of Mitchelltown and Pritt is the son of Roy and Linda Pritt of Alleghany County.
At the end of their junior year, Anderson and Pritt were told which students had the highest grade point average at the time, and their GPAs were at the top and very close. By the end of March, they found out who ranked where.
"I always tried to do my best and something like this came out of it, that's good," Anderson said.
"I findit more of a journey than anything else," said Pritt, "It doesn't matter what you get; it's what you get out of it on the way. If I hadn't made it (salutatorian), I would have known I had tried my best."
Anderson and Pritt excel in math and science, but laughed when each found out the other also scored higher in reading on their SATs than math.
"I didn't learn to read until I was five," said Pritt, yet when he was three, he knew how to multiply. "You can learn anything through math," he said. "I learned my letters and numbers from playing cards."
Both are honor students who work hard and keep up with many extracurricular activities, that is until, as Anderson put it, "senior-itis kicked in."
While their list of honors and achievements is long, both appear to be average teenagers who enjoy the same things as their peers, though with a bit more intensity.
Anderson loves to travel and has been to Australia as a People to People student ambassador, and also to Mexico, Ireland and Canada. "I love Australia," she said, "and I hope to study abroad there in college." Her favorite city is New York, though she would rather visit than live there. And, she noted, "I love beaches," saying she would like to travel to beaches, sit in the sand and read. In the summer, she enjoys reading Dean Koontz mysteries and other types of books, as she is too busy during the school year.
Anderson will attend the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, this fall and plans to major in business or education. "I like math a lot … if I went into education, I would want to be a math teacher."
Pritt would like to travel one day also, though he has only traveled to North Carolina and West Virginia. He plans to attend Concord University in Athens, W.Va. this fall.
He relaxes by listening to music, especially alternative rock, or with photography. He would like to travel to Canada to photograph its varied landscapes and to Germany, to "study my roots," though he is also part Irish and English, he said.
Pritt enjoys the outdoors - golf, fishing and hunting. With golf, his analytical mind kicks in. He started at the age of 12 with a fivewood and with the first swing almost hit the neighbor's house. Despite that near disaster, he began to love the game, though for not the usual reasons.
"Just seeing the ball go, that's the good thing," Pritt said. "You can have a football player that can throw 60 yards, so why not hit a (golf) ball three football fields long? That's the way I look at it."
Pritt enjoys hunting, but finds he attracts bears for some reason. "I see hunting as a way of building character, because you learn patience and the will to wait for something … But bears freak me out. For some weird reason they always come around me. It will be out of season and I can't do anything about it so I curl up into a little ball - two or three times this has happened."
Pritt leans toward majoring in something scientific or mathematical, perhaps in the fields of environmental science or geo-science.
When asked what he would really enjoy doing Pritt said, "I would findan alternative for gas." For fun, though, "I guess just relax. Relax, listen to music, take some photos." His favorite bands are Incubus and Smashing Pumpkins.
Anderson's favorite music leans toward John Mayer and Red Hot Chili Peppers, though she enjoys listening to anything, she said.
Anderson's academic achievements include: A honor roll student grades 8-12; awards in English, algebra, world history and Spanish; perfect 600 SOL scores in geometry, algebra and English; girls' state representative; 10th grade People to People student ambassador to Australia; 11th grade graduation marshal; 12th grade voted most likely to succeed and valedictorian. During her senior year, she has taken three dual enrollment courses at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, offered at BCHS via the distance learning lab.
Her extracurricular activities include band (trumpet) and piano; volunteered two years ago for the Bath County Historical Society; was homecoming court representative freshman and junior years; Beta Club member; member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Burnsville United Methodist Church; she is a member of her church's women's group and received a pin for 10-year perfect attendance.
Anderson is also active in sports playing basketball her 8th and 9th grades. Since 10th grade she has played on the varsity soccer team and received an award for most improved player. She has been named to the all-area and all-district teams and is captain of the soccer team.
Pritt's achievements include: A honor roll student grades 8-12, often with the highest average in his classes; perfect 600 SOL scores in algebra and English; a member of the Beta Club; member of the state-champion Beta Quiz Bowl team; member of the Future Business Leaders of America club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes; member of BCHS golf team since 8th grade and team captain since his sophomore year, and finished fourth in the Lower Cascades Pioneer District tournament last year.
Pritt attends Eden United Methodist church and volunteers with its apple butter festival each fall.
The BCHS Class of 2008 will graduate on Friday, June 6 at 7 p.m.
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