Positivity Pays Off

Junior Tygee Ferris was surprised when she found out she was selected as West Of’s Student of the Month. “I’m proud of myself for being positive and being a leader, not a follower,” says Ferris. She believes that she sets herself apart from her peers by being an open-minded and hardworking individual who’s always filled with positivity. Her teachers tend to agree. “She comes in everyday with a smile on her face. I had the joy of teaching her in Algebra II, and even though it was a tough class, she kept a great attitude and worked hard,” says algebra teacher Virginia Broadway.
“Tygee is one of the most assiduous students I have ever taught; she always does her homework, gives 100 percent effort on every assignment, and contributes valuable information to class discussions,” says English teacher Ashley Kennerly. “Not only is Tygee an amazing student, she is an amazing person. She is respectful, polite, compassionate, and admired by her peers.”
Ferris shows her tenderheartedness by volunteering for a variety of causes. She helped cook and deliver dinners for local families in need with other WAHS Culinary Arts students, and she and her fellow NJROTC cadets participated in a hike that raised money for those battling cancer. She also volunteers to work Charleston County School District’s Superintendent’s Cup Tennis Tournament each year.
Becoming a confident, hardworking high school student has not always been easy for Ferris, but her motto, “As long as my determination is strong enough, failure will not overtake me,” has helped her bypass the challenges she’s faced. Ferris says that her grandmother and mother have been her sources of inspiration and motivation. “My grandma always has a positive attitude. She always pushes me, even if I think I can’t do something,” says Ferris. “My grandma and my mom are both hard workers. They also teach me life lessons,” she says
Learning is one of Ferris’s favorite parts about school. She especially enjoys her science classes. “Experiments are my favorite part. You get to come to conclusions and learn by doing them,” she says. When she’s not working on something for school or volunteering, Ferris enjoys listening to music and spending time with her family.
Looking to her future, Ferris has already started making plans to attend the University of South Carolina after she graduates high school in the spring of 2017. She believes it is a good school, but especially likes that it is close to home. She wants to study computer art design because she enjoys learning about special effects and movie editing, and she plans on making a career out of it.