Oakwood’s Luke White has a story to tell.
Whether that story begins with the moment he stepped into Oakwood High School or at the moment the Class of 2020 Valedictorian walks across the graduation stage or when he begins his next experience at Columbia College Chicago, White is making the most of his experiences.
“I think being Valedictorian was something I worked for, definitely. I always just strived to do the best I could with whatever I was doing,” he said.
White, an Illinois State Scholar, has always been curious about the world. He’s enjoyed spending his time reading or taking part in Oakwood’s drama, pep band, marching band, concert band or Scholastic Bowl opportunities.
Her served as class President his freshman year, then went on a the take on the role of the Treasurer the following three years.
“In Student Council, I served on multiple subcommittees for my sophomore, junior, and senior years,” he said. “I was also Vice President of the council my junior year and Council President my Senior year.
“I served as Assistant Director for the Drama Club this year. For Scholastic Bowl, I was JV captain my Junior year and Varsity captain my senior year. I was named a part of the All-Vermilion County Scholastic Bowl team during my senior year.”
Over time, White has learned that “starting something is the hardest part.”
Although his senior year did not end the way he thought it would, White is looking forward to the next steps in his story. He plans to move to Chicago in the fall to study television.
“After that, I hope to find myself writing and producing shows for companies like NBC or Netflix,” he said.
Packed in his bag of stories will be memories of his hometown where the entire community comes together for homecoming, missing the opportunity to make more memories with his class after they walked out the doors mid-March or having a support system.
“My family has always been behind me in everything I do. It was great to have them stick by me. Especially when things got hard and stressful,” he said.
“These last 8 weeks were definitely different than what I expected my senior year but it did give me time to start to really think about what the future holds for me.
“I’m looking forward to what is ahead.”
