True North Stories

North Rowan High School junior, Aniya O’Neal gifted artwork to be displayed at the Community Care Clinic of Rowan County.  

Imagine being 18 and living on your own. That’s what Ever Espinoza is doing.  

A senior at North Rowan High School, Espinoza has taken online classes at RCCC for the past two years.  

“I’ve had my ups and downs,” he says. “Last semester was a bit tough. My whole family had Covid and I lost an entire semester.” 

He’s now retaking courses he needs to graduate, but has been ahead as far as his graduation requirements.  

For Gaiter, nursing is a longtime goal. 

“I always told myself I wanted to be a nurse a help people,” she says. “It’s a guaranteed job. There are a lot of job opportunities out there.” 

Gaiter plans to attend RCCC for one year, then transfer to North Carolina Central University or Winston-Salem State University to further her education.  

Senior Stephen Leichman is captain of the drum line for the marching Cavaliers. He’s been in marching band all four years as a student at North Rowan High School. This semester, he’s taking a band internship with Adrian Smith, North’s director of bands.  

So it’s a pretty safe bet that band has been his favorite activity at North.  

Senior Lamiyah Walker is happy to be back at North Rowan High School after spending her freshman and sophomore years of high school away.  

Walker attended North schools during kindergarten through seventh grade, then transferred to the West district for eighth, ninth, and tenth grade. 

Senior Tsion Delaney has spent the past four years at North Rowan High School making what he hopes will be lifelong friends. 

At North, Abby has been involved with student government and has been member of Key Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, and Junior Civitan. Abby served on homecoming court as a sophomore, representing student government, and as a junior class representative. 

Ben King’s four years at North Rowan High School have brought their share of challenges, but fun, too. Sometimes at the same time. 

Freshmen Mackenzie Finsel, Trinity Lineberry, and Aniya O’Neal were asked to create artwork for a documentary premiering in this Wednesday at Livingstone College. 

You never know what Debbie Sousa’s nursing fundamentals students will be up to. On this particular morning, under Sousa’s watchful eye, they are bathing patients. 

If you’re a fan of YouTube, you may want to look up Mallory Braun. The North Rowan senior already has 5,000 followers.

Senior Itzel Nunez-Ariza says she loves the tight-knit community at North Rowan High School.

Since the 9th and 10th-grade design classes are hosting a community showcase on Nov. 21, the art students and CCAC are working together to create a presentation of their own, too. 

Ask Deontrey Fair what he’s enjoyed most about his four years at North Rowan High School and he says, “Oooh! Probably the teachers. They’ve been pretty fun.” 

Jordan Goodine built many friendships and relationships during his four years at North Rowan High School, but some of his family members laid some groundwork for him, too.

Kaitlyn Taylor was an eighth-grader at North Rowan Middle School, but attended East Rowan High School until the first quarter of her junior year. Now, she’s about to finish her high school career at North.

Some high school seniors graduate with no idea about what they want to do.

Not Josh Loftis.

Senior Adrian Rudisell says he’s transitioned well to the eLearning format at North Rowan High School.

Gabrielle moved a lot with her family when she was younger, attending Isenberg and Overton elementary schools, then later North Rowan Middle School. Although she now lives in the Salisbury High district, she says, “Something was pulling me toward North.”

You may not think you’d be intimidated by a high school student, but then again, you may not know Jared Hensley. 

You might think that all school nurses do are take temperatures and pass out aspirin. You would be wrong. The list is so long, in fact, that you may have to go lie down on a cot in the nurse’s office after you read it.

Seriously, it’s a lot.

As a student at Winston-Salem State University, Diamond Jackson was an intern in the Communities in Schools program.

Now, she’s one of nine site coordinators for at-risk schools in Rowan County. This is her second year in the program. She was at Henderson Independent High School last year before coming to North Rowan High School. She’s also a 2010 graduate of North.

The Wilkersons have three daughters, Hannah 17, Rachel, 12, and Kelsey, 8. He assists with the youth department at New Zion Baptist Church, leading basketball camp and helping with Vacation Bible School. He also helps his parents with their business.

“I’m a family person,” Wilkerson says. “We do a lot of family activities together.”

“We are thrilled to have Mr. Smith joining us,” says Meredith Williams, North’s principal. “He has a deep love for North Rowan and a passion for serving students. Mr. Smith, having leveraged his amazing musical talent throughout our community, is a role model for our students. He is a testament to the ways our students can use their own passions, especially for music, to guide their own True North.”

After the coronavirus shut down schools in mid-March, teachers had to completely change the way they taught and how they delivered instruction. Here’s a look at how three teachers at North Rowan High School worked with their students during this challenging time.

I had no idea the scope of an athletic director’s job until I talked with Mark Woody, the AD at North Rowan High School. 

In Ben Hampton’s heart, he always thought he’d be a baseball player. His grandfather played in the major leagues, and his father played AAA ball. Hampton started playing football in fourth grade and played three sports up until high school, when he dropped basketball and concentrated on football and baseball.

Imagine taking 100 students to the beach for a day trip to examine the effect of natural disasters on the shoreline. That’s exactly what the 10th-grade teachers at North Rowan High School did on Oct. 23. 

Calin Martin, North Rowan High School wins the NC Science Teachers Association (NCSTA) District Six Outstanding High School Science Teaching Award for 2019.

You could look for Dominique Bates behind his desk, but honestly, that’s the last place you’d find him.

Hunter Fuller characterizes himself as an average golfer, but he’s coached golf at South Rowan High School and now is the golf coach at North High.

When Kym Melton, who teaches English at North Rowan High School, was asked to teach the girls’ tennis team, she didn’t know how to play.

The game of volleyball goes fast, on and off the court. The season begins in August with two to three matches a week, with practices on other days. It concluded the end of October with the Yadkin Valley Conference Tournament. The team finished 4-16 overall and 4-12 in the conference.

Deborah Sousa is the perfect person to teach health sciences at North Rowan High School. Before coming here 23 years ago, Sousa was a nurse.

On a recent Tuesday morning, AP Environmental Science students were blowing bubbles at Horizons Unlimited.

During her years as an educator in Rowan County, Miranda File has seen the students at North Rowan High School grow up. She was a teacher’s assistant at Hanford Dole Elementary, then she was a middle-school ELA teacher for seven years at North Middle. 

community service hours, allowing them to graduate with a diploma versus a certificate. 

Students looking for a friendly face at North Rowan High School need look no farther than Sarah Thompson. She’s beginning her third year as student services administrative assistant. Her office is right next to the front office and she works closely with the guidance counselors.

A new year means new students and new projects in Alexis Greer and Benjamin Butchart’s ninth-grade design class.

Felix DuSablon and Mitchell Croot are another duo at North Rowan High School who are taking on the challenge of co-teaching this year.