Her sights were set on becoming Oakwood’s Class of 2020 Valedictorian; on the road to get there, Madeline Woods was just focused on getting the best grades she could.
“I was always worried about college and the possibility of going into debt, so I wanted to make sure my grades were good enough for me to receive as many scholarships as I could,” she said.
An avid reader, Woods found her love for learning by opening up new worlds and ideas.
“I feel like I always learn new things when I do,” she said. “I am also a very curious person and that enables me to enjoy gaining new information. The opportunity to learn to me means that I will be able to achieve the goals that I want for my future. It allows me to be able to pursue the career that I want to and better prepares me for my future overall.”
For the next two years, Woods will be enrolled at Danville Area Community College where she will study biology. She plans to then move on to a university where she can study zoology.
“I am not sure exactly which profession I would like to get into yet, but I know that I want to work with animals in some way,” she said.
A National Honor Society member who had perfect attendance all four years of high school, Woods joined the Oakwood soccer team, earning a varsity spot as a sophomore, and enjoyed spending time with her friends at Scholastic Bowl.
“In the National Honor Society, I was able to give back to the community and made donation boxes for kids in need during the holiday season,” she said. “It was important to me to get involved because it meant I was able to develop some new friendships, while also making progress whether it was for myself or the community.”
It’s the same community who showed up and supported her during her time at Oakwood.
“I had the support of both my teachers and family during high school,” she said. “My teachers were always available and willing to help or answer any questions for me. This meant that I was provided a successful education because you cannot have a healthy learning environment that you will actually grow from if your teachers do not support you.
“My family was also very supportive and they were always stressing with me about my grades when I was worried about them. This meant a lot because it let me know I wasn’t alone and that I had people there to encourage me.”
Like many other seniors, Woods is saddened that she will not get to create the final memories, having a last day of school with her peers. But there are also memories that will be ingrained on her heart for a lifetime.
“The main event that stood out to me during the 2020 school year was our homecoming week and how our senior class made the most of it,” she said. “We all knew it would be our last homecoming week ever, but we didn’t really dread the fact that it was our last. We worked really hard and actually enjoyed it more than any year before.
“There is a ton of school spirit at Oakwood, especially during homecoming week which is something that we do like no other school does.
“Oakwood High School is a special place because of the people that are there and the energy that they give off. Everyone kind of has their own friend group just as any high school does, but it’s different because we all come together when we need to. Everyone knows each other, so when something happens it affects the whole school and we can all help each other.”
