2013-2014 Teacher of the Year & Scholarship Awardees
![Mrs. Allison George](https://cmsv2-assets.apptegy.net/uploads/20671/file/3466452/9dd4b098-b721-40dc-96a5-16c125e786b4.png)
Mrs. Allison George - teaches Math
How did you get to Reynolds where have you taught before coming to RJR and why did you want to come to Reynolds?
I moved to Winston Salem to join my fiancée, Jeff George, who had taught at RJR for the previous two years. I worked in industry in Winston-Salem for a year and a half, subbed at RJR for six months, and applied to teach for the fall of 2003.
How did what you had heard about RJR match what you actually found at RJR?
I was familiar with RJR because I came to my husband's track meets and school functions for two years prior to working at RJR. I already felt like part of the family.
What is an average day at school like for you?
8:00 AM arrive at RJR. 8:05 to 8:55 get organized for the day, tutor, supervise the kids who use my room as their home base, attend conferences. 8:55 to 10:25: teach one of two classes of Math 1 (depending on whether it is A or B day). 10:30 to 12:00: teach block Math 1 class that I see every day. 12:05 to 2:05: planning, supervised various study hall students, tutor, ate lunch, cafeteria duty. 2:10 to 3:40: teach either Math 1 class or an Integrated Math 111 class (A or B day). 3:40 to 5:00-ish: tutor, attend meetings and conferences, planned, touch base with colleagues.
What would you change at RJR if you could?
I wish we had more time in the day to work with our colleagues. The teachers at RJR are fabulous, and I wish I could spend more time planning with them.
What is your family life like?
I am married to my husband of almost 12 years, Jeff, who teaches Science at RJR. We have a nine year old son.
Why did you go into teaching as a career?
I enjoy working with young people and I was always able to help my friends in their classes. Teaching seemed to be a natural fit.
What are your goals and aspirations?
I will be starting graduate school in the fall to earn my masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Eventually I would like to develop math curricula.
Is there anything else you want to tell the RJR alumni?
Thank you very much for your generous financial award. I'm grateful and honored.
![Elizabeth Meinberg](https://cmsv2-assets.apptegy.net/uploads/20671/file/3466458/45ca2ce3-5da6-493b-be0a-6e3c9f9e8a30.png)
Elizabeth Meinberg
Reynolds High School’s staff has positively affected my high school experience through extracurricular activities and service. I have participated on varsity sports teams all through my years at Reynolds, and managed this with a strong academic load and community service. I've been an active participant in various extracurricular activities that promote Reynolds High School for the strong institution it is known to be.
Sports have been prominent in my life ever since I was young. My experience at Reynolds grew my love for them even more. I played on the varsity volleyball team and varsity softball teams for the past three years. I attended Summit School through 9th grade. I have been a member of the shooting team for the past three years. Through these activities I have met some of my best friends. I came to open gyms before my sophomore year, and was a little timid not knowing what Reynolds would be like. I had heard of the strong traditions of excellence in the classroom and on the field. Coming from a private school, Reynolds was going to be different. The adventure of becoming a Reynolds demon was becoming a reality…something I dreamed of while visiting my grandmother Linda Wallace when she worked in the office.
I came to Reynolds knowing some of the staff from which my grandmother had worked with. The teachers I did not know made me feel welcome…coming in as a sophomore. The administrators and teachers always knew my name. Dr. Paschal still calls me by my name if I see him off campus. He retired the first year I was at Reynolds. There was a sense of community on the campus of Reynolds High School.
My sophomore year I was on campus all day long, but my junior and senior years I had morning Career Center. My school day would conclude with either volleyball or softball practice in the afternoons. Many of my friends and I would cheer on our classmates with the rowdy Reynolds Rowdies at football, basketball, baseball, and lacrosse games. There was so much pride in wearing black and gold.
I have enrolled in honors and advanced placement classes throughout my high school career. Many of these classes have been difficult, but I have had the support of wonderful teachers. Mrs. Freitag is one of the best teachers I've ever had. She was very reliable and always willing to help me succeed in her Honors Algebra 11 class. Her door was always open before and after school for those students that needed more individual help. She cared about each and every one of us and she still does. Mrs. Freitag pushed me to work hard and never give up. Her class was not easy, but with extra effort I was able to move forward with challenging math classes. The foundation she provided me with enabled me to find success. My teachers at Reynolds have been very helpful while pushing me to become the best student I could be.
My favorite class was Honors Anatomy. I love learning about the human body and how it works. I wish to pursue a degree in Health Sciences from Clemson University. The hardest class I took was Honors Chemistry. It involved difficult equations and tactics that were hard for me to understand, but with the help of fantastic teachers like Mr. Bragg I survived the class.
If I could change anything about Reynolds, I wish more AP classes were taught at Reynolds. It was fun meeting new people at the Career Center, but the teachers at Reynolds are so knowledgeable that it is unfair that we do not have more AP caught there.
I have received the gold service award documenting more than 250 community hours of community service the past three years. I plan to continue volunteering throughout college. Service to others is a priority, and I wish to pursue a degree in the field of science. I want to become a physician assistant or nurse practitioner and help others. As a member of various clubs at Reynolds I know how important it is to give back to the community.
Thank you for honoring me with this scholarship. My years at Reynolds will be remembered fondly. I've experienced a great education, made new friends, helped the community, and enjoyed being a member of a team. Lessons learned go beyond the classroom and the playing field. I am proud to be a Reynolds Demon, and I shall hold the traditions of this great institution close forever. Go Demons!!
![Drew Fisch](https://cmsv2-assets.apptegy.net/uploads/20671/file/3466459/790d82a5-02b7-4436-84e4-96a64ac73bb1.png)
Drew Fisch
Reynolds is a very unique place. It is not an average high school would look like. It's not how an average high school would go throughout the day. Reynolds is not your average high school. Spending my last four years at Reynolds have been the greatest years of my life. I cannot imagine myself anywhere but at the greatest high school in the country. Reynolds has so many things that I love. I love that there was such a wide variety of classes you were able to take. Additionally, all of the various classes have wonderful teachers that are not only great instructors but also great people. Countless times I've had the privilege of connecting with some of the teachers on a personal level that just enhanced the learning experience in a way that is almost indescribable. The athletics at Reynolds have been an absolute joy to be a part of. I was a four year varsity basketball player, but I went to about every sporting event that a high schooler can handle. Being a part of a prestigious student section like the Reynolds Rowdies and also getting the chance to be President has created memories that will last a lifetime. Roudies basically brings the school together to try to lift their athletic teams to victory. Socially, life at Reynolds has helped me develop relationships and friendships with fellow students that I cherish daily. You will be put in class or classes with various students, so it is easy to widen your range of friends. As the years progressed I made friends who I thought were going into my freshman year I would never be friends with. The great thing about Reynolds is that you can pretty much be whoever you want to be without any consequences. There was such a diverse group of people that it makes Reynolds almost like a melting pot. Everyone is a Demon! Everyone is a member of one big happy family.
My favorite member of the faculty while I was at Reynolds was my baseball coach, Doug Welch. A lot of people don't like Coach Welsh based solely on outside judgments, but when you get to know him and work with him:
he is one of the kindest and most genuine individuals I ever met. Being a baseball player, I'm probably a little biased, but Coach Welch has helped me grow as both a ball player and as an individual more than anyone (except probably my parents). He is always preaching life lessons and proper bunt technique. Coach Welch is so dedicated to his players, and his work does not go unnoticed by our team. We spent many hours in the middle of the cold January air working during the offseason to prepare for the upcoming season. We do not always have the best team, but Coach does not really treat it any differently. We will always work hard no matter what. I think all of his work finally paid off this past season, because our team won the Central Piedmont Conference for the first time in 10 years, and made it to the Elite Eight of the Four A state baseball tournament. The three playoff wins were the first baseball playoff wins for Reynolds in many years. Overall Coach Welch has helped me develop into a person that is ready to go out into the world.
A lot of people ask me what I would change at Reynolds if I could. To be honest, I would not change a single thing! Reynolds is a place that only the people that went there or currently go there can appreciate. It's long standing history is unrivaled by any other high school in the surrounding areas. Like any other high school, Reynolds may have some flaws, but that's what makes this school such a beautiful place. It's not perfect, but it's perfect to those that go there. I will always remember these four years. There's nothing that sticks out more than anything else. These years at Reynolds have been the best years of my life. I will always be a Demon at heart. High school kids always talk about being so ready to graduate, but I don't think I'm ready to leave Reynolds. Ask anyone at our school. I am beyond proud of being a part of the Demon family, and I'm not afraid to shout it to the world.
I will be attending Elon University next year to pursue a degree in the business field. I've been accepted into the Business Fellows program, so there will be a great opportunity to make connections and learn with others that are similar to me. As I prepare to embark on this new beginning, I will always know that I can come home and be surrounded by those like me, and that the Demon family will accept me with open arms.