Putnam County High School 2022 graduating seniors Tyler Wallace and Lillian Thomas reflect on their high school experience.
Tyler Wallace is the valedictorian of the 2022 graduating class. Wallace was very involved in extracurriculars during his high school years including: Beta Club, SkillsUSA, Math Team, E-Sports Team, Anchor Club, National Honors Society, the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Key Club International, the Farmers & Merchants Bank Junior Board and the Georgia Writers Museum Junior Board.
“I wasn’t in any sports during school but I was definitely in a lot of clubs. It’s honestly so hard to recall them off the top of my head because I stayed involved from my freshman year through my senior year,” said Wallace.
Wallace plans to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and major in computational media. The degree focuses on hands-on and theoretical knowledge of computing along with helping students understand visual design and the history of media.
“I chose this major because I want the best of both worlds, both the practical and the sort of creative side,” said Wallace.
Wallace expressed that his teachers have helped him the most throughout high school by providing challenge and proper instruction that pushed him to do his best.
“They certainly gave me the challenge that I needed to grow and become the student that I am today,” said Wallace. “And out of all the subjects they helped me through, math is my favorite. It’s dealing with logic and stuff like that which is sort of my forte. “
Wallace stated that his most precious memory related to high school was just how many laughs it gave him. He expressed that the school always had events going on that were fun and engaging and those gave him everlasting memories.
“There’s so many different events and stuff that I do with my friends at school that are memorable. One that comes to mind is field day. It’s really fun and a combination of everything that I enjoy. As a graduating class, we just got to relax and chill,” said Wallace.
Wallace expressed, though, that high school was not just smiles and laughter. COVID had a large impact on his high school experience. He describes it as a unique experience to affect his class and not an experience that many people can relate to.
“It’s something that is unique to our class but I think we did really well to adapt to it and to kind of overcome the challenges that come with that,” said Wallace. “In the future, I think not many people can say that they went through such an interesting experience.”
Wallace described himself as a quiet and shy person when he first entered Putnam County High School. However, he expressed that he has overcome that and feels high school has allowed him to mature and be ready for his future.
“I realized that it’s not worth it to stay in your shell. You really need to get out there and talk to people because that’s what life is all about, just living with other people and experiencing life together,” said Wallace. “And I look forward to experiencing life with new people at college.”
Lillian Thomas is the salutatorian of the 2022 graduating class. Thomas was also very involved in extracurricular activities during high school including: Anchor Club, Beta Club, Key Club International, SkillsUSA, National Honors Society, the Farmers & Merchants Bank Junior Board, the Experiential Learning Program, Putnam County 4-H and the Northeast 4-H Senior Board. Thomas was also involved in a collection of sports including golf, tennis, cross county and sideline varsity cheerleading.
“I am so thankful for my school for giving me some of my best friends and a place to learn and grow over the last four years,” said Thomas. “I’ve become more intentional, assured and passionate over these years as I’ve gotten closer to figuring out who I am and the impact I would like to make on the world.”
After graduation, Thomas will attend the University of Georgia as a foundation fellow and major in international affairs. The Foundation Fellowship at UGA is a premier undergraduate academic scholarship applied to those who meet a very high academic threshold.
“I owe it to my parents and my family for supporting me the last four years to achieve this. They’ve always motivated me to succeed and be my best,” said Thomas. “I’ve been able to do a lot of really cool stuff because of them and nothing would be possible without them.”
Thomas reflects that her favorite memories from high school are related to the Experiential Learning Program offered at Putnam County High School. The program focuses on helping students learn beyond the classroom.
“Experiential Learning allowed me to do a deep dive into Eatonton’s history and physically see the things and places that we’re learning about. Dr. Lawton (the leader of Experiential Learning Program) is an awesome mentor,” said Thomas. “I really owe a lot to him for helping me through the college application process and really figuring out that I want to go into social studies in the future.”
Thomas reflects the rough road that she had throughout high school due to the impacts of COVID and the world being in crisis. She is thankful that school returned to normal functions by the time she could graduate and wishes to remind her graduating class of where they have gotten through.
“I’m so proud of all of you. I know that it’s been such a long road to get here but I’m really happy that we’ve all made it. I wish everyone the best of luck to the next chapter of their lives,” said Thomas.