Welcome to HickoryRecord.com. Skip directly to: our Keyword Search, Section Navigation, Content.

HickoryRecord.com - Hickory Daily Record

HomeNewsEntertainmentSportsLifestylesOpinionCommunityWeather Online Tools Jobs | Real Estate | Shopping | Classified

Outstanding characters

YMCA recognizes 14 teens for just being themselves

Related Links

YMCA of Catawba Valley

By Sarah Newell Williamson | Hickory Daily Record

Published: November 12, 2009

HICKORY - When you're a teen, having good character means not always doing the popular thing.

On Thursday night, nearly 50 students were recognized for consistently doing the right thing at the ninth annual YMCA Teen Character Awards.

"The nomination is a recognition of achievement itself," said Drew Daniels, a history teacher at Hickory High School, and the school system's teacher of the year. "I'm glad the YMCA recognizes character."

He told the 44 nominees that maintaining outstanding good character as a teen is very difficult.

"Sometimes you'll feel your character's been overlooked entirely," he said. "Those closest to you have said they believe in you. We need you to make the world a better place."

One of the people who will do that is Marcus Byrd. A St. Stephens High senior, Byrd is this year's winner of the Gary and Mary Hogue Scholarship. The $500 scholarship is awarded to one senior each year who demonstrates the four values of the YMCA: caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.

Byrd is on the school's football team. During the game against Newton-Conover High School, one of his teammates broke his leg. Byrd went to the hospital with someone else on the team and stayed with his injured teammate the entire night. The next morning, Byrd dropped his teammate off at his house, then went to church to play his saxophone in services, and to his job that afternoon, all on very little sleep.

"I was so surprised and overwhelmed," Byrd said when he heard his name called. "I thought there were others who have done so much more than me."

In addition to being involved in marching band, jazz band and football, Byrd also volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and has logged community service hours with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Key Club and National Beta Club. In October, he coordinated a haunted house for children who are waiting to be adopted.

Byrd said his mother, who raised his sisters and himself while attending night school as a single mom, and his stepfather, who has taught him how to get ahead in the world without stepping on anyone he passes along the way, are his inspirations.

Although Byrd wants to go to college in the fall for architecture or exercise science, he still wants to volunteer in his community.

"Working in the community is something I will continue to do because empowering others is the key to building strong people," he said.

In addition to Byrd, there were 13 other winners of the Teen Character Awards. Like the recipient of the Gary and Mary Hogue Scholarship, winners of the Teen Character Award must demonstrate each facet of the YMCA's core values.

The junior varsity winners, who are in middle school, are Savannah Apple, Cole del Charco, Ali Miller and Cassie Mumford.

The varsity winners, who are all in high school, are Carson Binns, Benny Bradshaw, Kendall Hamm, Emily Annette Johnson, Mason Lehman, Margaret Locke, Melissa Noah, Lacy Peterson and Taylor Pisel.

Phil DiCasolo, the president and CEO of YMCA of Catawba Valley, addressed all of the nominees at the award ceremony Thursday.

"The path you've chosen is the difficult path," he said. "To continue to make the right choices when no one is watching is difficult."

He expressed confidence in each of them, stating they had a room full of support, and had already made good choices.