Crisp, Daniels and Trammell lead county's latest high school grads
Robbinsville – The road to academic excellence is often filled with a myriad of stops and starts.
Think about the journey: 12 years. A lot can happen in 12 years. Life itself is hectic enough today; and that is without considering personal losses, illnesses, the need to uproot all you have ever known and move as the variables in the equation.
It is not easy to reach your high school graduation – and it takes an early love for the classroom to be one of the first to receive your diploma.
Haylee Crisp, Erica Daniels and Desta Trammell will lead this year’s esteemed group of Robbinsville High School graduates into the gymnasium at 8 p.m. Friday. Emotions inside the facility will be high. Tears will be shed, as the realization of a journey ending hits home. Hundreds will watch as children transition to adults before their very eyes.
It has been a very different set of paths that have led Crisp, Daniels and Trammell to be this year’s respective valedictorian and salutatorians. Crisp and Daniels have grown up as best friends and were interviewed for this feature as such; but at the same time as both were talking with The Graham Star, Trammell was in a 4-hour nurse’s aide certification course. Her interview had to come later.
Friday’s commencement will be live-streamed on The Graham Star’s Facebook page. No doubt Crisp, Daniels and Trammell will have some prophetic words to deliver to their peers – hopefully advice many will take to heart.
After all, who would want to discount observations from the top three members of your graduating class?
Mirror images
Crisp and Daniels have been almost inseparable since meeting in Mrs. Ammons’ kindergarten class at Robbinsville Elementary School.
The duo’s time spent with The Graham Star more than illustrates their bond. There have been very few athletic endeavors – Crisp has cheered since middle school and played basketball at the PeeWee level; Daniels was a basketball player through middle school and returned to cheer for her senior season – but the two are more alike than even they realized.
Until now.
“We used to have matching backpacks and outfits,” Daniels recalled of their early days together.
“Not even on purpose,” Crisp added. “Everybody got us messed up when we were younger, because we kind of looked alike.”
“They started charging my lunch account twice, because they thought Haylee was me,” Daniels laughed. “They thought she was coming through the line twice.”
The pair once recorded a YouTube series that Crisp says “may or may not still be there.”
Trips to the movies? Every weekend.
Taking in a concert? How about a range of musical variety from Selena Gomez to The Weeknd?
Yep, Crisp and Daniels have seen both in person – and likely without a pre-show meal at Red Lobster, as both share an allergy to shellfish.
Crisp is the event coordinator for the Robbinsville High School Spanish Club and is a member of the institution’s Beta, HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) and Crusaders clubs. She has volunteered at Grace Place, A Community Table (which serves meals for individuals in need on a weekly basis) for several years.
Daniels is the vice president of the Spanish club, and is also involved in the Beta and HOSA clubs. She has volunteered in second-grade classes at Robbinsville Elementary School, as well.
“When her mom found out I was first (in the class) our freshman year, she was dedicated to making sure we both were first and second,” Crisp said of Daniels’ family pitching in. “She helped us a lot with our Tri-County classes and developed a plan.”
And the unity shows no signs of division anytime soon. Post-high school plans? Well, they have already been accepted as teacher assistants at the elementary school – yes, both want to be second-grade instructors – and college is already booked, as well: online courses at UNC-Charlotte.
“We don’t try to be (the same person) …” Crisp began.
“… it just tends to happen,” Daniels finished.
Balancing act
There is a fine line to walk between the thrills of competing in athletics – while also making sure you take care of your classroom assignments.
Trammell has it down to a science – well, let’s say she has solved the mathematical equation instead, since that has always been her favorite subject.
“A lot of homework was done on bus trips, or car rides to practice,” Trammell recalled. “The teachers were also really good about working with me and understanding. They were very helpful, as long as they saw me doing my best.”
Her work ethic was instilled in her at a young age, with her parents Ritchie and Kimm Trammell admittedly being “tough” on the soon-to-be college basketball player for Lenoir-Rhyne University.
“Even in elementary school, I can remember a few of us being placed in a class where we were tasked with doing more difficult tasks than others,” said Trammell. “That’s when we kind of knew it might be us (at the top of the class). After that, I took honors classes all through middle and high school. I took AP classes and I focused last year on getting my rank up by taking more Tri-County courses.”
The next formula to solve is how to manage a college schedule, both in the classroom and on the court. Trammell plans to pursue a degree in nursing, with aspirations to be a nurse practitioner later in life. Her interview with the Star came mere hours after she underwent her nurse-aide exam. At random, Trammell was chosen to perform five nursing tasks in 30 minutes or less, ranging from taking an ambulatory weight to demonstrating proper hand-washing technique.
During her time at Robbinsville, Trammell was a member of the HOSA (secretary), Spanish, Crusaders, FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), Friends of the Athletes, Knightmares, Beta (vice-president and historian) clubs. She was also voted onto the Student Council.
Trammell also organized a toy drive during a Robbinsville basketball game around Christmas, which helped spread holiday cheer to those who might have otherwise missed out. Additionally, she has helped to provide Christmas card for residents at Graham Healthcare & Rehabilitation; and helped out with the Summer Knights program during its inaugural run last year.
She currently attends Robbinsville First Baptist Church.
“It’s pretty sad when you grow up with the same people and you realize you won’t be coming here again; and everybody is going to be going off everywhere,” Trammell said of her feelings on graduating. “But it’s bittersweet. I’m proud of everyone; it’s cliche to say ‘we made it,’ but we made it.”