By Jennifer Ramsay / The Nugget
Nicholas Anderson never set out to become Lumpkin County High’s STAR student. In fact, he didn’t even know it existed.
“When they told me I was STAR student I just kinda blew it off,” he said. “Like it was cool but I didn’t know what it meant.”
Nicholas “Nic” Anderson was named Lumpkin County High’s STAR student for the 2020 - 2021 school year. The honor is given to one senior who is either in the top 10 or top 10% of their class and has the highest SAT score in one sitting. They also get to choose the STAR teacher.
His pick? Dr. Terry McGee.
“I knew when I was told that I got to choose the teacher, I knew who I was going to choose right away,” Anderson said. “I chose Dr. McGee because he’s really passionate about history...he just makes every day really fun.”
Looking back on his time at LCHS, Anderson has mostly fond memories. His favorite is a New Year’s Eve party from his sophomore year, the first he ever attended. But, despite the fun times, Anderson says he “grew a lot in a lot of different ways.”
“I wouldn’t even recognize myself if I talked to me from freshman year,” he said, “I’m very happy with the way high school went.”
‘A NEW HOPE’
Outside of school, Anderson has a wide variety of interests, including working out, philosophy and astrophysics. He particularly related to the ancient philosophy of stoicism, which got him through some hard times.
“There was a time where I just felt different,” he said. “Not appreciated, not loved by everyone. So I had to find a way to love life for myself...Stoicism gave me a new hope for life. It put everything into perspective in a different way that I never saw before. Now I love life.”
Looking towards the future, Anderson hopes for a career in politics or law. He has a Gates Georgia Military scholarship to the University of North Georgia, where he plans to major in political science, with a concentration in American politics. After graduation, he wants to serve his required six years in the National Guard before heading to law school.
His advice for current high schoolers: Find something you love and figure out who you are.
“Students get too caught up in the grade” he said. “…Students need to find something they are interested in, no matter what subject it is. You gotta have something you’re passionate about to get you through it...High school’s really the time to figure out what you enjoy and what you want. Worry less about the grades and think more about what you want as a person.”