8 uplifting stories about Leon County students' hard work, kindness and ingenuity in 2022
The news wasn't all bad in 2022, especially thanks to some Leon County kids who made headlines for their hard work, kindness and ingenuity.
From straight As to big waves, here are eight stories that made us believe the kids are all right.
Sister scholars at Chiles High School
Twin sisters Surabhi and Sandhya Kumar share the same birthday and the same parents. They took the same classes in high school and even have some of the same friends.
They also shared the title of valedictorian for Chiles High School’s graduating class of 2022.
Full story: Twinning! Sisters tie for Chiles valedictorian for the first time in school's history
Chiles senior 'waves' goodbye to high school
Soon-to-be Chiles High School alumna Hannah Flynn wanted her graduation photos to be different.
She didn't want to pose in her cap and gown in a park or "near trees or something," like most graduation photos, she said.
"No hate, they’re great, but I just wanted to do something a little different,” Flynn, 18, said.
Full story:From mortarboard to wakeboard: Chiles senior waves goodbye in unique graduation photo
Swimming through adversity
After the last bell rings, swim coach Emily Gwin teaches 11 students – 10 girls and one boy – how to dive, how to do a flip turn and what it means to be part of a close-knit family.
Godby High School is historically known for its football and basketball, having won state championships in each sport.
Their swim team, however, struggles with membership.
But that doesn’t stop Gwin and her Godby students from jumping head first into the sport.
Full story:Godby student swimmers jump head-first into the sport in spite of systemic roadblocks
Dancing queens
The Raa Middle School students in Room 33 raise their hands, but they’re not asking questions.
They're quizzed on stomps and claps and high kicks.
Like clockwork and on beat, their sneakers pound the wood floor. With pompoms instead of pencils, they ace their exam.
They’re the Raa Dance Team, and they’re national champions.
Full story:'Built-in family': National champion Raa dance team kicks 'mean girl' stereotype
Backyard blacksmithing
Most children have playgrounds in their backyard, not a blacksmith forge.
Landon Huber has both.
The seventh grader at Christ Classical Academy built the forge for a science fair project after watching his favorite TV show, "Forged in Fire."
Huber and his science fair project headed to Washington, D.C. for the 2022 Broadcom MASTERS — the nation’s premier STEM competition for middle school students.
Full story:Tallahassee student — and his blacksmith forge — to compete for $25,000 prize
70 years of memories at Leon High School
More than 70 years of history separates the Leon High School class of 1951 and the class of 2023, but in September, the two came together to celebrate what it means to be a Leon Lion.
Marge Masterman, 89, sat at a lunch table and told stories about her time in high school as 16-year-old Jayla Worrell recorded on her phone.
Masterman, who was valedictorian of her class, teared up remembering the last reunion she attended 20 years ago.
"It's actually sad, but you're so happy to be here," Masterman said. "You think of some of the classmates that passed away, particularly this year. That's been hard because we wanted them to be here, too."
Full Story:70-year class reunion highlights 'rich history and tradition' of Leon High School
Lincoln graduate learns from time as school board member
When Connor McCord accepted the position as the student member of the Leon County School Board, he wasn’t expecting hours-long meetings about masks and LGBTQ guides.
McCord, 18, just wanted to learn the inner workings of policy making. He still hadn't learned how to tie a tie.
But by the end of the school year, the former Lincoln High School senior learned much more.
Full story:'Keep going': Lincoln grad overcomes tragedies, tense times as student school board member
Rickards student entrepreneur brings STEM to Bond
Bond Elementary School student Williem Taylor loves science. In November, in the school's cafeteria, he was in his element.
Rickards High School student Sruthi Sentil and her nonprofit, BuddyKnit, hosted a robotics expo with more than 150 fourth and fifth grade students in attendance and 30 Rickards students participating.
Taylor didn't know how easy it could be to make a robotic car. But what he was most impressed with was Sentil.
"Don't matter what age you are, you can still make someone's day even better, because she's 17. She's only seven years older than me," he said.
Full story:Bond Elementary students partner with high schoolers to build robots
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leon County students did amazing things this year. Here are 8 examples
