Meet the 2023 ORHS Homecoming queen and king candidates
Homecoming is this Friday in Oak Ridge. Ten Oak Ridge High School students are competing for the titles of Homecoming king and queen. The royal couple will be crowned during halftime of the ORHS Wildcats football game against Lenoir City on Blankenship Field. The game begins at 7 p.m.
The following information and photos were supplied by the candidates and school representatives.
Born in Cookeville, Brooklyn Henderson moved to Oak Ridge at the age of four. She attended Woodland Elementary and experienced the best of both worlds as a middle school student at Robertsville and Jefferson. Brooklyn has been involved in AVID, Sports Media, Wildcat Pride, student council and prom board. She is a two-year varsity captain and starter for the ORHS Lady SoccerCats. Outside of school, Brooklyn has competed with FC Alliance and been an active volunteer for SCOR. She enjoys photography and traveling with family. Next semester, she will participate in cooperative education by alternating her academic studies in conjunction with full-time employment. Brooklyn will continue her soccer career with One Knox 06/05G-DPL this spring. After high school she plans to attend college, majoring in secondary education and is actively pursuing college interests as a student athlete.
Rosie Hoang was born in Michigan, but she has moved around frequently. She has attended 11 schools throughout her life. In Oak Ridge, she attended Woodland Elementary for second through fourth grade and Robertsville Middle for eighth grade. Rosie has been a part of Student Council and is currently a part of the Oak Ridge Ensemble (Honors Choir). Outside of school, she works at HomeGoods. Fun facts about Rosie are that she can DJ, she went to modeling school for a bit, knows two languages (Vietnamese and English), she has three younger siblings, and she is a poet.
Libby Peterson has been in Oak Ridge for the past 10 years and she is incredibly grateful for all the educational opportunities the school system has given her. She has spent the last three years mainly involved in Masquers and has been the lead costumer for the past two years. When not working on a show, she likes to read, sew, and hang out with her friends. Throughout her high school experience, Libby has been in the early childhood program working with preschool and elementary school age children. Through this program she has found her passion in teaching and would like to continue her education in a state up North to major in elementary education and specialize in special education.
Laura Scott is the daughter of Joshua Scott and Anne Branche, and was raised with a strong foundation in education. Her academic journey has been marked by excellence, having received an award for maintaining straight A's throughout middle school. Early childhood education has become her passion, and she is currently enrolled in level five of this program, determined to make a difference in the lives of young learners. In high school, she has consistently achieved a 4.0 GPA, placing her in the top 10% of her class. Her commitment extends beyond academics as she actively engages in seven clubs and extracurricular activities, including Senior Steering (serving as an executive), Interact, WCAT Live, and Wildcat Mentoring. Outside of school, she cherishes a year-and-a-half-long relationship with Gavin Hensley. Looking forward to the future, she has her sights set on attending a Tennessee university this coming fall as an education major, where she hopes to continue her journey of personal and academic growth.
"I am Tiahna Taylor and I am a senior at Oak Ridge High School. I am currently a 4th year member and captain on the ORHS Dance Team. Throughout my four years of high school, I've maintained above a 4.0 GPA while balancing several honors and AP classes. I am also involved with Wildcat Pride, Prom Board and I became a Wildcat Mentor. This year, I have the opportunity of being a part of the clinicals program and I will finish high school as a Certified Medical Assistant. Along with balancing my heavy workload, I have been a teacher and full-time student at the Oak Ridge Academy of Dance. This will be my 12th year dancing and I look to be continuing my dance career in college. With help from my many coaches, Hannah, Pam, Renee, Chloe, and Tanner, I hope to win additional national titles and turn my personal record from six titles to nine."
Kyle Garrett is the son of Brad and Michelle Starnes. Kyle moved to Oak Ridge in 2015 and has gone to Linden Elementary and Robertsville Middle. Kyle has been involved in Wildcat Mentoring, Prom Board, Wildcats for Change, Senior Steering, and FCCLA. Kyle currently serves as the ORHS FCCLA first vice president, where he has competed at the State Leadership Conference and the National Leadership Conference. Outside of school, he works at Chick-fil-A and is involved at his church. He loves to spend his free time hanging out with family and friends. After high school, Kyle plans to attend East Tennessee State University to earn his bachelor’s in elementary education.
Gavin Hensley, the son of Kristin Craze Hensley and Matt Hensley, is proud to be a third generation Oak Ridger. He is active in Ensemble Chorus, Tri-M Musical Honors Society, Senior Steering, AVID, Interact Club, Wildcats for Change, and Wildcat Mentoring. He is also news anchor for ORHS WCAT Live after completing three years of broadcasting. Gavin has a love for entertaining and has appeared in TV shows, commercials, and films. However, live theatre is his passion. He has performed in 20-plus productions in the past five years with Oak Ridge Playhouse, Broadway Center for the Arts, and others. He hopes to pursue his interests in theatre and community service further at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Hobbies include playing basketball, writing, thrifting, and adventuring outdoors. Gavin would like to thank Oak Ridge Schools, the community, teachers (past and present), fellow students and friends, his girlfriend Laura, and his family for this opportunity and for all the love and support over the years.
Emmett Lee was born in Oak Ridge. He attended the Oak Ridge Preschool then Linden Elementary. At age four, he started AYSO soccer and then on to his club soccer career. While at Linden, Emmett served as a Safety Patrol. Then he attended Robertsville Middle School (RMS), where he was part of the NASA RAMSAT team and ran cross-country for three years. Emmett currently attends Oak Ridge High, where he has played soccer all four years and lettered varsity. Last year, Emmett was voted District Defender of the Year and All-Region. Among other activities, he has served on the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) for three years, where he has contributed multiple volunteer hours in community outreach events and activities. The past two summers, Emmett spent much of his time lifeguarding at the Oak Ridge outdoor pool. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends, going to the gym and watching Georgia football. Emmett plans to attend college, continue to play soccer and wants to study business/supply-chain demand.
"Hello! My name is Brennen Scott, and I am a senior here at Oak Ridge High School. In my first two years I played violin in the school orchestra. Furthermore, I’ve been a part of the Wildcat mentoring program in my last two years of high school and have been selected to be a mentor leader. I am very fortunate to be a member in the school’s clinical internship program, in our last term (we) ... were able to receive our OSHA certification. As we continue through the course, I’ll have the chance to possibly earn my medical assisting certification, as well. Finally, I’ve been playing basketball since I was very young, and I compete on our high school team here in Oak Ridge. With the season coming around the corner, I will be entering my fourth year on the team. The goal this year stays the same: to win a state title!"
Tyler Tratta was born in Phoenix, Arizona; he moved to Oak Ridge when he was 7 years old and he attended Glenwood Elementary. Throughout his life he had been interested in sciences and arts, taking up cooking and martial arts as hobbies. He has worked at multiple restaurants in the city, including Big Ed’s Pizza. He is an experienced hunter and practiced fishing when he was younger. He was on the swim team for a short time and participates in a mentoring program at ORHS.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Meet the 2023 ORHS Homecoming queen and king candidates
