RSHS junior aims to make the most of summer, life

Raider headed to summer Governor’s school 

By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com

ROCKINGHAM — Hailey Mason wants to study science. She’s 99 percent sure of it.

So the natural science program through the Governor’s School of North Carolina is, for the Richmond Senior High School junior, a natural fit. The 16-year-old was selected out of nearly three dozen students to represent Richmond County in the prestigious five and one-half week program this summer at Salem  College in Winston-Salem. Local district officials vetted the candidates and pared the list down to six. That list went to Raleigh, and program administrators there selected Mason.

From June 21 through July 29, Mason will be immersed in a college environment — perfect for her because, about a year from now, she aspires to be planning her first year at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Hailey Mason

Hailey Mason

Daily life at the Governor’s School is a rich mixture of classes, activities, seminars, speakers, concerts, recreation, trips, and dorm life. Certain aspects such as classes, assemblies, dormitory curfew are expected of all students and many others are optional and open to choice.

The academic program runs Monday through Saturday mornings, with other activities and visitation on the weekends. Richmond County Schools will pay Mason’s $500 program fee.

Last fall, Mason was nominated by a teacher — which one, she doesn’t know — and was asked to complete two essays. One of them was on contemporary issues and the second, a persuasive piece, covered “how school doesn’t really prepare you for life.”

Mason, the only daughter of Daryl and Teresa Mason, of Rockingham, aims to get the most out of life while she has the chance. On the RSHS campus, she’s played volleyball and soccer and is a member of Beta Club, National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In her community Mason volunteers at Our Daily Bread, the Rockingham food pantry, and at Mount Zion United Church of Christ. Mason also fills a variety of roles at Willie Wright Adult Day Care Center in Rockingham, a business her aunt owns.

Throughout all her activities, he takes AP and honors classes while maintaining a 4.8 grade point average.

“I want to understand how the college experience is going to be,” Mason said.

This program will indeed help Mason prepare for life’s next phase. She might become a doctor, after all.

“I’d like tow work with children,” Mason said, “who are terminally ill.”

She envisions herself working in some capacity with children who are patients “in a big hospital.”

And even if the ending is inevitably sad for each young life, Mason said, “If they’re here, you might as well make it fun for them while they are.”

Mason insisted she won’t miss much if she’s out of the county for most of the summer.

“If I’m here, all I’m going to do is (play) volleyball,” she said.

The summer program has a volleyball league. And when she returns?

“The day I get back, volleyball starts,” Mason said.

 

 

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