Words by Elizabeth Williams | Image by Al Blanton
As the academic year winds down, high school seniors across Walker County are celebrating their accomplishments from the past four years. Carbon Hill High School has much to be proud of, as its outstanding group of seniors has achieved a lot this year.
“This class is small in number, but that is not reflected in their long list of scholarships, honors, and awards. We appreciate their hard work and dedication, and we are beyond proud of the Carbon Hill High School Class of 2023,” said guidance counselor Leslie Burrough.
Among the group of outstanding seniors is Katie Halbrook, Brandon Keeton, and Luke Aldridge.
Katie Halbrook is the Senior Class Valedictorian as well as Mrs. Carbon Hill High School. She has maintained a GPA of 4.1 and scored a 23 on the ACT. Katie will attend Bevill State Community College (BSCC) to pursue a Nursing degree. She then wants to continue her education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to become a Nurse Practitioner. Katie has received several scholarships which include: BSCC’s Merit Scholarship, the Walker College Foundation’s William Thornton Scholarship, and the prestigious Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Scholarship. Katie’s hard work to earn these honors will enable her to become a first generational college student.
Brandon Keeton serves as Carbon Hill’s Salutatorian, graduating with a 4.0 GPA and scoring a 24 on the ACT. He will be attending Bevill State Community College for two years before transferring to Wallace State Community College to pursue a degree in Sports Medicine. Brandon received the Walker College Foundation’s William Thornton Scholarship. His accomplishments encourage him to continue his hard work and show him that it does pay off.
Luke Aldridge was named Mr. Carbon Hill High School and is ranked third in the Senior Class academically. He has maintained a 4.3 GPA and scored 28 on the ACT. Luke is attending the University of South Alabama to pursue a degree in business and marketing. Luke has earned multiple scholarships including South Alabama’s General Admissions Scholarship, the American Legion’s Alabama Boys State Scholarship, and the Walker College Foundation’s Minnie Thornton Scholarship. Being rewarded for his hard work, Luke is more confident pressing on through life as he starts college.
These students and many more have bright futures ahead of them, and we are excited to see where their next steps lead them. Congratulations to the class of 2023! WL
