September Scholar Athletes of the Month: Green Hope's Justin Jackson, Wake Christian's Macey Boyer
HighSchoolOT and APlus Test Prep are proud to announce the winners of the HighSchoolOT Male & Female Scholar Athletes of the Month for September 2023.
Each month, the HighSchoolOT Scholar Athlete of the Month award, which is presented by APlus Test Prep, recognizes one male and one female senior high school student-athlete in North Carolina who has success athletically, but also excels in the classroom and contributes to the community.
One male and one female winner will be named each month through May 2024. Nominations can be made any time on HighSchoolOT. Every monthly winner will automatically become a finalist for the HighSchoolOT Honors Scholar Athlete of the Year Award at the end of the school year.
The winners for September 2023 are:
- September Male Scholar Athlete of the Month: Justin Jackson, Green Hope
- September Female Scholar Athlete of the Month: Macey Boyer, Wake Christian Academy
Justin Jackson (Green Hope soccer, basketball, track & field)
Justin Jackson is a senior student-athlete at Green Hope High School where he participates in three sports — soccer, basketball, and track & field. He is a team captain on the soccer team.
In the classroom, Justin holds a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 4.58 weighted GPA, which includes 13 AP classes. He is a College Board AP Scholar with Distinction, scored a 1540 on the SAT, received a National African-American Recognition Award, and is a Morehead-Cain Scholarship nominee.
When he's not playing sports or working on his school work, Justin is very involved in the community. He tutors and mentors two dozen kids outside of school, participates in volunteer work for homeless people, leads youth sports camps, works with students with special needs at Green Hope, and works a part-time job.
Justin is in the DECA club where he is the Vice President of Competition, he is a 2023 International Finalist at DECA, he's a member of the Math Honor Society, writes for the Green Hope Falcons newsletter, was elected to the Green Hope student council, and is a Falcon Frenzy board member.
Here's Justin Jackson in his own words:
Why is your academic success important to you?
My academic success is important to me because it establishes personal pride and provides the opportunity to be an exemplar. I enjoy succeeding in everything I do, and school is no different. It helps boost my confidence for other challenges I take on. Additionally, as an oldest sibling, a tutor, and a friend, I hope to provide examples and encouragement to the many that look up to me. My success allows me to help others do well, in not only school, but any aspect of their lives.
How have sports helped you in the classroom? What lessons have you learned from playing sports that you can apply to life?
Athletics help mold students into better teammates. Sports have taught me how to work together with others to reach a common goal. Now within school projects and extracurriculars, I am better at adapting to meet the needs of those around me to collectively achieve success. Since I invest a lot into my multiple sports, I also know how to maximize my time in class, in the gym and on the field, so that I can accomplish everything I need to. I have learned many lessons through sports that extend into my entire life. For one, sports taught me how to lead a group of unique individuals. During my athletic career, I’ve developed the skills of effective communication and being personable. I also learned to be resilient. Sports have provided some of the greatest adversity I’ve faced. I’ve gotten better at persevering and bouncing back from these issues in not just sports but every other aspect of my life.
As a senior, what advice would you give to underclassmen in high school?
My biggest piece of advice to underclassmen is to be involved and present in high school. So many times I look back incredibly grateful that I decided to join a club, go to an event or spend time with friends. The memories I’ve made and lessons I’ve learned, simply by being engaged, mean so much to be. Don’t take the four years for granted and do all that you can to enjoy yourself.
What are your plans for college & beyond?
In the future, I plan to study business and finance at Duke or within the Morehead Cain program at UNC. After graduation, I hope to become a commercial banker or C.F.O and eventually receive an M.B.A. from a top postgrad program. One day, I hope to start my own business, boosting financial literacy within underprivileged communities.
Macey Boyer (Wake Christian volleyball)
Macey Boyer is a standout volleyball player at Wake Christian, but she's also a standout student in the classroom.
As a senior at Wake Christian, Macey has been a straight "A" student her entire academic career. As a result, she has a 5.0 GPA as an AP Scholar. She was a Junior Marshall, a recognition for students in the top 10% of their class, and has won four honors class awards.
Macey scored a 1340 on her SAT and a 30 on her ACT.
A lot of Macey's time is spent doing work in the community. She has taken a mission trip to Guatemala, she participates in the Chick-Fil-A Leadership Academy, she's a coach for youth volleyball camps, tutors other students, and is the lead singer for the Wake Christian Academy Chapel.
Outside of sports, Macey participates in chorus, works with the Wake Christian worship team, is a member of the Beta Club and Music Honor Society, holds an officer position in the Tri-M Music Honor Society, and is a team captain at Chick-Fil-A.
Here's Macey Boyer in her own words:
Why is your academic success important to you?
I am extremely blessed with an abundance of opportunities because of my parents’ sacrifices, and I believe to whom much is given, much is required. Therefore, I consider it my responsibility to my parents and to myself to work hard and do my best to excel academically. My professional life goal is to make an impact on my community, and high school achievement will open doors down the road to help me achieve this goal. Ultimately, I want to be defined by my good character, honorable values, and work ethic. I believe that when I am persistent in my pursuit of academic excellence, my effort overflows into these three traits as well.
How have sports helped you in the classroom? What lessons have you learned from playing sports that you can apply to life?
Sports have taught me discipline and leadership. I have learned how to prioritize my studies and manage my time so that I am able to put forth my best effort. Just like my teammates and coaches deserve my full energy, so do my teachers, coworkers, friends, and family. When I stepped into leadership roles on the court, I began evaluating the way I spoke to and about my teammates, coaches, and officials. I always try to remind myself that if my speech does not promote team unity or encourage kindness, it does not need to be shared. This is a principle that has also become important in my everyday life. We all serve as examples to others. My role as a captain on the volleyball team has taught me to be mindful of what message I am sending to my peers.
As a senior, what advice would you give to underclassmen in high school?
Looking back, I’ve realized that things I was extremely stressed about were simply not that important. I operated in survival mode for a lot of my past three high school years. Let me be clear, working hard is important. Prioritizing your time is essential. School and sports and work are great things… when kept in their proper places. However, assignments or games I was freaking out about two or three years ago, I don’t remember in the slightest now. We push and push, telling ourselves: “Oh just get through to Friday and then it’s the weekend!” But then two days later we start everything over again. Just surviving until the end of the week is an unfulfilling way to spend four years. So, I encourage underclassmen to find joy in the little things, and realize that our identity is not in our GPA, how well we play, what someone thinks about us, or how many followers we have. It is perfectly okay to be imperfect, as long as we put forth our best effort in the moment.
Personally, the only reason I have been able to get through high school, and especially the first month of my senior year, is because I have placed my identity in Someone unchanging, the One who is good even when I fail. My encouragement to anyone struggling to find purpose or peace is to seek their Creator. When my own stress piles up, I find tremendous peace in knowing that He is the one in control, and that I do not have to be.
What are your plans for college & beyond?
I plan to attend a four year university and double major in psychology and exercise science. My end goal is to be a doctor in psychology or occupational therapy, pursuing a career as a behavioral psychologist or an occupational therapist. I foresee myself coaching volleyball at some point in the future. I would also like to get married and have a family.
Past Scholar-Athletes of the Month
Here are the past winners of the HighSchoolOT Scholar Athlete of the Month Awards sponsored by APlus Test Prep:
