East Tennessee high schools are full of amazing young people accomplishing great things, in the classroom and around their schools and communities. Top students, active school leaders, creative artists, dedicated peer tutors, quiet workers who step up whenever a club or activity needs them: Knox News is ready to honor them all, with your help!
This week marks the launch of our new, weekly Knox News student of the week poll. Local high schools have been invited to nominate one of their students each week, and then our readers will have a chance to vote in an online poll for that week’s top honoree.
If you vote in our Knox News athlete of the week polls – and you probably do, based on how popular those are each week – this new feature will sound familiar. Student of the week is the same kind of recognition for local high school students, but based on their achievements in academics, clubs, leadership roles and extracurriculars.
Once the schools have picked their nominees for the week, it will be your turn to decide who comes out on top by casting votes in our online poll at knoxnews.com between Monday morning and noon Thursday. Please feel free to share the poll and encourage everyone at your school and in your community to vote.
The winner will be announced online Friday, and in Sunday’s print edition – and then next poll with the next round of great student nominees will go up online the following Monday.
We asked local schools to nominate students for this initial poll, and two of them provided us with names. So here are this week’s two Knox News student of the week nominees.
Please vote at the link at the end of this story – and if you’d like your student’s school to join in, encourage your school to participate in our program if they aren’t already.
Miriam Lee Peoples, Claiborne High School
Peoples, a senior, is described as “a natural leader in our school” who maintains a 4.0 grade-point average while participating in many clubs.
She is Student Council vice president, student school board representative and a member of Beta Club, women’s soccer, Key Club, Talent Search, G-Force and A -Team (a club that is responsible for spreading positive affirmations to faculty and students) and History Club.
Peoples is also active in her church, Twin City Baptist in New Tazewell, and works a part-time job at Apex Fitness.
Shelby McCurry, Lenoir City High School
McCurry is a senior who “is always there when you need her.” Throughout her educational career, she has taken all accelerated classes (Honors, AP, State Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment).
She is executive president of Student Council, vice president of FFA, president of Student Health Advisory Council and student member of the culture committee, and is a member of NHS, cross country and the principal’s advisory council. She has excelled in FFA competitions through public speaking.
Outside of school she’s involved in barrel racing and training horses, and works a part-time job as a dog groomer and kennel tech.
“She is monumental in the work of creating the on-site Veterinary Science Clinic and the development of our Grooming Salon,” the nomination stated. “She embodies what it means to be a Panther-positive, accountable, hard work ethic and proud of her school.”
This poll closes at noon Thursday.