Winner of Student Photography, K12: Aden McClendon
Not What I Expected
by Reese Walters
Mom, Dad, Eve and Cameron were taking an afternoon hike at the Wildflower Creek Trail. It was a quarter past three, and the golden glare of the sun was glimmering on the tips of their sunglasses, and the sweat was racing down their foreheads. Finally they came up to a waterfall, and everyone quickly layed down thier bags, and sat down. But Cameron raced over to feel the mist. “Be careful!” Dad said. “I will!” Cameron responded.
But he wasn’t careful.
Eve had heard a piercing pain in her ear when she heard cameron shout, “HELP!”
It was very slippery because of all the water, and Cameron had fell down the ravine, but was barely clinging on to the edge of a sharp boulder.
“Cameron!” Eve shouted, “I’m coming!” She, along with the rest of their family, dropped their items, and raced over to the kudzu-covered ravine to try and help him up.
But he was too far down.
Cameron was left on the tip of a towering ravine, while his Dad called 9-1-1.
“Hello? Yes, we’re here at the Wildflower creek trail, and my son is on the edge of a cliff, and we can not reach him. Yes. Thank you so much. Goodbye. [Hang up] They’ll be here as soon as they can.” Soon after, a policeman showed up with a grappling hook.
He walked over to Mom and said, “We’ll do the best we can.”
He lowered it down the ravine only to find out that cameron had lost his grip minutes before, and had fallen down the cliff. His mother grabbed hold of the jacket that cameron had been wearing earlier, and sobbed into it. The rest of the family comforted her, and they left the trail with tear stains on their reddened cheeks.
This was not the way they had expected their family hike to go.
Uncommon Crossings
by Jackson Keener
For the past week at Lively Middle School everyone has been talking and theorizing about how the solar eclipse will change the look of their small town. On Sunday night, Tyler and his friend Jalen are on the phone talking about how they think their atmosphere will change. Asking questions such as, “Will the weather suddenly change to lower temperatures?”, “How dark will it be?’’ Tyler recently moved from Tuscaloosa, Alabama in November due to his fathers new job. He became friends with Jalen relatively quickly after moving. Tyler was hoping that his school would release early so that he could watch ESPN before the College Basketball National Championship game.
Tyler and his family have always been fans of the Alabama Crimson Tide, they especially loved watching College football on Saturdays at 2:30, but ever since he moved to Austin, Texas he has not been able to express his love for Alabama Football. He planned to just watch the eclipse with his friend at school. When Tyler woke up Monday morning his mom informed him that he did not have to go to school for the day. In a delighted uproar, Tyler ran upstairs and turned on the sports channel to view all of the analyst predictions for the game. Two hours later Tyler decided to re-watch one of his favorite football games he had ever witnessed. The 2018 College Football National Championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs.
He admired the true grit and passion to never give up expressed by the players. While watching he began to wonder how Alabama as an organization would evolve without Coach Saban. It was time to go outside and watch the eclipse. So Tyler grabbed his solar glasses off the kitchen table and made his way to his back porch. As he gazed at his sizable backyard with a fishing pond in the center, surrounded by woods, he saw two people standing next to each other on the woodline of his backyard. A soft but broad voice called out "Hello, is this your property?'' Tyler knew who the voice belonged to the second he heard it.
It was Nick Saban with his grandson James. At this time Tyler's mom walked out onto the porch. When she realized, Saban had begun to make his way to them. His mom began to make conversation with Nick and his grandson, while Tyler was absolutely astonished and overwhelmed. Fighting for a word, Tyler reached his hand out for a hand shake. ''Nice firm grip, it tells alot about a man's character" Saban explained. They watched the eclipse together on Tyler’s porch and eventually Nick Saban graciously thanked them and left. Tyler, still stunned, walked back into his home wondering "How could someone like me be lucky enough to meet someone like Coach Nick Saban."
Boxing a President
Parker Long
As I watched my best friend get knocked out by honest Abe. Sweat dripped down my forehead as the match continued and the young man was getting cleaned up by his coach. I wiped the sweat off my forehead when I got pushed into the ring and many people yelled for me to get my hands up. I heard the deep voice from the corner say “Hey kid, keep your guard up.” Then a fist hit the side of my sweaty forehead. I fell to the ground while seeing lights fly around my head. I stood up and put my hands up into a block and saw the 6 foot man standing there with his fist up.
Lost in my thoughts I looked up and moved to the right away from the jab. I threw a jab and made a connection with the giant's cheek. As he fell back I stepped towards him and threw a sucker punch to his side and pushed the young president. I stepped back into the crowd and was grabbed by a man and pushed back into the ring. Abe Lincoln stood up and looked taller than ever, looking up as a punch flew through the air like a cannonball falling towards the earth into a battlefield. 30 minutes later I woke up with a black eye and a memory that I will never forget.
by Charlotte Bailey
Let us fly, fly high in the sky,
Fly together, forever and ever.
We will reach the sun.
We will have lots of fun.
Fly together forever and ever.
We will make discoveries
We will change history
You and I.
by Kayla Brown
I’m eight years old
I’m in the mirror sobbing that my hair isn’t straight,
And that I can’t do the pretty styles the other girls can.
I wish my hair looked different.
I’m ten years old
I’m taking pictures of myself,
Editing my skin to be pale like my sister’s.
I wish I was lighter.
I’m twelve years old
I’ve started a new school in a predominantly white area,
Trying to not cry in the bathroom stall.
I wish people weren’t so mean.
I’m fourteen years old
And it’s been six years,
I thought I’d grow out of this constant phase of insecurity.
I wish I felt comfortable in my colored skin.
I’m fourteen years old
But I’m still eight years old,
In the bathroom,
Crying that my hair will never be naturally like theirs.
by Caroline Kilgo
As I walk into the chapel
Surrounded by the people I love,
I feel the need to pray
to the Lord above.
As I kneeled to the ground
I started to cry,
I realized God was by my side.
Sprint to Victory
by Will Bade
I couldn't wait for track practice. Running made me feel alive. Plus, it was the one place where I felt like I truly belonged. Coach always said I had potential, and I was determined to prove him right.
As I laced up my sneakers, I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Today was the big race against our rival school, and I was determined to win.
The sun beat down on the track as I lined up at the starting line. My heart raced as I waited for the whistle to blow. The crowd's cheers echoed in my ears, urging me on.
"Runners take your mark… Get set... Go!"
And we were off! My feet pounded against the track as I sprinted forward. The wind whipped through my hair, and I could feel the sweat dripping down my face.
I focused on the rhythm of my breathing, each inhale and exhale pushing me forward. My legs burned with each stride, but I pushed through the pain.
I glanced to my left and saw my biggest rival, Jackson, gaining on me. Determination flooded through me as I kicked it into high gear.
With every ounce of strength I had left, I surged ahead, crossing the finish line just milliseconds before him. The crowd erupted into cheers as I collapsed onto the ground, exhausted but victorious.
Coach ran over, a huge grin on his face. "That was incredible, son! You gave it your all out there."
I smiled up at him, feeling a sense of pride swell within me. All those hours of training had finally paid off.
Later that evening, as I sat on the bleachers with my teammates, reliving the race, I couldn't help but feel grateful for everything track had given me. It wasn't just about winning; it was about pushing myself to be the best version of myself, both on and off the track.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the track, I made a promise to myself. I would continue to work hard, to push myself to new limits, and to never give up on my dreams.
Because on the track, anything was possible. And I was ready to sprint towards my next victory.
Will Bade
My beautiful mother
by Adalynn Walls
There are many important people in the world but we could not have been here without our mothers. Our moms are women who we look up to and want to become when we are older. My mom is the strongest and the most beautiful person I know. She has been through a lot and no matter what she always made sure my brother and I were happy. The love between a mom and her child is a love like no other.
Growing up, my mom was always involved in school things and liked to be active with us. However, in 2017 they found a tumor in her back and she was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma which is a type of bone cancer. She had to undergo a lot of chemo treatments which made her lose her hair and she had to stay in the hospital for two months. Her hospital was two and a half hours away so we tried to see her as much as we could but it became hard on our family because we all missed her. I was only eight years and my brother was six years old so we did not fully understand. However, now that we are older it shows us why you need to always be thankful for your family and never take them for granted.
On February 1, 2018 she had her first surgery which lasted seven hours long. Then on February 5, she had her second surgery which was sixteen hours long. When the doctors did her surgery to take her tumor out, in order to get to it they had to cut her sciatic nerve which caused her to have drop foot. She’s now on crutches and cannot walk because it might mess up the screws and rods in her back. She has been cancer free for 6 years and we could not have been more thankful. Always cherish your family, you never know what could happen.
Punishment To Peace
by Robert Sjoerdsma
The first day of me going to alternative school was a little scary. I remember being on the bus having to get there and when I got there I thought it was going to be a genuine hell on earth. When I walked in I had to hand in my phone to someone, no big surprise security was uptight and they had a metal detector there. Someone showed me how to do my work and after sitting down at my desk I did a little work but not much. They would bring us in separate classrooms with only about 2 to maybe 7 people depending on what day and if everyone came. In the first week I did a lot of work. Lunch was interesting to have for the first time there, we sat down back at our desks and ate. The funniest thing about lunch was if there was an extra lunch, 1st come first serve and if you were extra hungry and lucky you could get a second lunch and you were allowed to have more than one milk or juice without paying. All the teachers were super nice but some strict but that's to be expected.
After I was about 2 weeks in, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Everyone was quiet at least until we put our chromebooks up and could go outside at 1:30 or if it was too rainy or cold, stay inside and play ping pong. Teachers acted the same as normal teachers would got onto you if they caught you sleeping or watching a movie which everyone there did from time to time. Peaceful is a word I could use for the place. It was nice and not as crowded since there was a maximum of around 40 people there and that included teachers. The bus rides to and from the school were nice and peaceful, no screaming and best of all when you came home you had no homework since everything was on the chromebook. Long story short, alternative school wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was like regular school but having to be somewhere else for your punishment. While it wasn't that bad there were moments where I wished I never did what I did to have to be sent there and I missed a lot of my friends. It wasn't worth it.
My Heart-Breaking Truth
by Aniyah Jackson
Life comes with a lot of regrets and heartbreaks such as: choosing and accepting the wrong people into your life . Everything in life is a regret - arguing , fighting, and unfinished conversations . There are struggles I deal with mentally . Understanding my regrets and fixing them afterwards is showing how much I genuinely care .
I have been getting my heart broken for years now . I know no can tell because of how well I hide it . Deaths , grieving and relationships are tearing me apart . My main regret is trusting and trying to believe nothing is wrong . No, I cannot talk to anyone because I believe words cannot always help . I have a hard time opening up because I do not want to be judged for my mistakes.
The arguing and fighting , the words I wish I never said to hurt the ones I love . I’m glad I changed my ways into being this better person . No more fighting girls , and arguing with my parents . But once I changed life started going downhill . Why is it that now I'm being this good person my family is dying left and right? I pray that the Lord protects and watches over them and ultimately always leaves me .
Unfinished conversations- I should have had things I could have said . My problem is , I always think I can stop and fix everything. When in reality , not everything can be fixed. I wish I could have another conversation with my grandmother . Would she be Proud? Mad?Disappointed?Happy?. I wonder what she will think of me now .
My struggle I deal with mentally is getting others to understand where I’m coming from. The pain I hold deep inside no one knows about . That little girl with the childhood trauma that always had a smile . All the tears I shed are real, wishing someone would listen . That is why I listen to everyone's problems, so that i can help them . No one should deal with that struggle alone mentally ; fighting and arguing . That is my biggest redundant in life .
One
by Clair McGriff
I try and try to be friends with everyone. Yet I always wonder, am I the problem? If I meet someone, I introduce myself, tell them my name, and some facts about me. I had a friend I knew since kindergarten. We had gotten close in October 2023, because I had just been kicked out of my friend group. I was physically and mentally struggling. My friend was the only one that was there for me while I was going through around four friendship losses.
She told me that I deserved better friends. Therefore, I started hanging out with her friend group. It was great for a while. That was until our first argument. We fixed things and then she got a boyfriend. I tried my best to get her back as my best friend again. That wasn't enough, she chose her boyfriend.
I have tried since elementary school to be friends with anyone. I have been too weird, annoying, dramatic, and emotional. I may overthink but I'm usually myself; at least I was. All I've ever been told is be kind and be friends with everyone and they will like you. But what if they don't.
I have learned that people can hate you for no reason--and that's not my fault. Taylor Swift once said in her song This Is Me Trying: “I've been having a hard adjusting, I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting." To me, I feel like it means you’re sad and struggling. To me, these lyrics mean you’re getting over a loss that's taking forever.
Friend groups could have six, down to three 3 people. Best friends are two. Then, what about one? One is alone and sad. I'm one.
The Child Prodigy
by Ava Parks
Sheldon Cooper from the hit television show Young Sheldon has an IQ of 187 and is considered a child prodigy. Sometimes his brilliance causes him to feel out of place. Sheldon also went to East Texas Tech which is a college at the age of eleven. His knowledge is one of his outlining characteristics, as well as this, is often characterized in a humorous light.
Sheldon has an obsession with science which is another one of his quirks. He is continuously doing experiments and researching many different topics.
His passion for learning is contagious. From a young age, he was amazed by the world around and had a natural curiosity that set him apart from his peers. It is clear that he enjoys sharing his knowledge with others.
His character struggles with social interactions. He often says things that are hurtful or sarcastic without realizing it. Sheldon was having trouble making a friend until he met Tam.This behavior has led to many comedic moments in the show. But this behavior highlights the challenges faced by people who have high functioning autism.
Despite his struggles with social interactions, Sheldon is a beloved character who has captured the hearts of many viewers. His passion for science and his quirky personality makes him a unique character. His journey on “Young Sheldon” is one that viewers have enjoyed following. His character offers a unique view on the challenges of growing up gifted and socially awkward. Sheldon is a representation of individuals with high functioning autism.
Flying Through History
by Ledger Nance
The history of air travel is a very interesting topic to learn about. When you think of air travel some people think about big giant jet engine passenger airplanes. There are many different versions of air travel and different sizes of aircraft to travel on or in. Some ways to travel are by helicopters, jet airplanes, and prop propeller airplanes. Air travel has made the world more advanced, safe, and accessible.
All of the different types of aircraft are very useful to the world in their own factors. The most popular, fastest, and farthest ways of travel is by jet airplanes. Just some jet airplanes are made by Boeing and Airbus. Some examples of jet airplanes are the Boeing 747, 737, 777, and the Airbus A310, A320, A330, and A380 . However other forms of air travel that are smaller are prop propellers airplanes such as Cessna 172, 182, and 310. There are also the helicopters that you can fly there are single rotor helicopters such as the Bell 206 Jet Ranger, tandem rotor helicopters such as the Boeing CH-47 Chinook, and some tilt rotor helicopters such as the V-22 Osprey that the United States Marine Corps uses for travel, which is a helicopter that can turn into an airplane while in air.
While there have been many casualties involved with air travel it is still the safest form of travel in the world. It has also made the world more accessible to everyone, before the early 1900s the world was very hard to get to other places around the globe. Before air travel was invented you had to get on a ship and travel for days, now you can buy a plane ticket and be in London from New York City in just a few hours. First responders also use aircraft to help them with what they do. Some police forces use helicopters to help track down criminals, Big fire departments use big aircrafts to drop fire retardant to help control and put out fires, Hospitals and medics use helicopters to transport patients to hospitals.
The very first airplane was created by Orville and Wilbur Wright on the 17th of December 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Amila Airheart was the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. During another record breaking flight Airheart went missing on the the 2nd of July 1937 over the south Pacific Ocean and was never found. These records and major achievements are what have turned air travel into what it is today. They are not talked about much but are very important and what has started the history of aviation.
It is very important for people to remember how the safest and most efficient way of travel was created. While people are always scared to fly and are scared they will crash, the odds of that happening is 1 in 11 million. The odds of getting in a car accident are 1 crash every 366 out of 1,000 miles. Therefore by a long shot air travel is a lot safer than every other form of travel. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the history of aviation and facts about this form of transportation.
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