Schools celebrate with ‘Big 50 Parade’
Bands, cheerleaders, and mascots – oh my! Schools celebrate with ‘Big 50 Parade’
schools, there were 13 professional
floats that featured the grand
marshals, current and former Board
of Education members, Teachers,
Principals, and Employees of
the Year, retirees and long-
time employees, Central Office
representatives, Lincoln Academy/
Lincoln High School alumni,
National Board Certified Teachers,
and “GC the Book Bug,” the school
district’s reading mascot from the
1990s who was reintroduced for
the 50th anniversary.
Marching bands, cheerleaders,
dance teams, school mascots,
JROTC units, special guests in
convertibles and on professional
floats, and a few surprises – our
“Big 50 Parade” had it all.
Gaston County Schools
celebrated its 50th anniversary as a
unified school district on Saturday,
September 22 with a parade
through downtown Gastonia.
Nearly 90 school-related entries
proceeded along Main Avenue to
mark the school district’s golden
milestone.
Seniors representing the
Class of 2019 and kindergartners
representing the Class of 2031
served as the grand marshals,
and Ashbrook High School French teacher Mamie Chisholm was the
honorary grand marshal. Chisholm began her career with Gaston
County Schools in August 1968 and is considered to be an “original
employee” of the unified school district.
All 55 schools were represented in the parade. In addition to 10
high school marching bands and cheerleaders from all 11 middle
Eight local businesses/
organizations served as
“Presenting Sponsors” for the
parade: American & Efird, Beam
Construction Company, CaroMont
Health, City of Gastonia, Gaston
County Education Foundation, GSM Services, Scribbles Software (AIS –
Advanced Imaging Systems), and Wells Fargo.
Band and float sponsors include Beam Construction Company, Duke
Energy – Allen Steam Station, Gaston Outside/Gaston County Travel
and Tourism, Lanxess, Mann+Hummel, Pharr Yarns, Tindol Ford Subaru
ROUSH, Will’s Food Stores, and Zaxby’s.
Cherryville student aspires to become a doctor
Cherryville High School student attends Congress of Future Medical Leaders
Cherryville High School student Juliana Vollmer has always dreamed of being a doctor. Now, the junior is one step closer to her dream
after attending the Congress of Future Medical Leaders this summer in Boston.
To be chosen for the program, applicants must “aspire to become
physicians” and hold at least a 3.5 grade point average. Vollmer
met both of these requirements and was able to view live surgeries
and ask questions of high-ranking individuals from Harvard and
MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). She joined students
from across the nation in meeting Nobel Prize winners, top medical
school deans, Ivy League academic leaders, experts of medicine, and
award-winning young inventors and scientists.
Recently receiving an Award of Excellence that recognizes her
completion of the program, Vollmer was presented the award by
Cherryville High School principal Kevin Doran, who nominated her for
the program.
“I am proud that Juliana took advantage of this wonderful
opportunity and is pursuing her dream of working in the medical
profession,” said Doran. “She is a very impressive student, and being
a part of this program gave her a meaningful and potentially life-
changing experience.”
Vollmer has her sights set on attending Princeton after her senior
year at Cherryville.
6 • November/December 2018 • Parent Teacher Magazine