JROTC Cadets Fly High at Fort Eustis and Langley AFB

Multicultural Women's Studies Class Visits Nascar's Universal Technical Institute

Piedmont AFJROTC Seen Around The World!

Fire Academy 2022 Graduate Hired by Monroe Fire Department

Panther Global Trivia Team Competes in Academic WorldQuest 2022

Piedmont Leo New Member Induction Ceremony

Piedmont Warrior Challenge

AFJROTC Head to Paris Island

JROTC Recognized With Distinguished Unit Award

Piedmont High School AFJROTC was recognized on May 24 as a Distinguished Unit Award winner for the 2021-22 school year by HQ AFJROTC. This is the 16th time the program has been recognized with this award in the 27 years since it began here in 1995.

ROTC Participates in iFly Indoor Skydiving

HQ AFJROTC recently offered grant money for JROTC units to take a STEM field trip, and Piedmont JROTC dove in, literally.  They organized a field trip to iFly, the indoor skydiving facility in Concord.  At iFly, cadets got a STEM lesson in which they learned to calculate their own anticipated terminal velocity, the maximum speed obtainable by an object as it falls through the air, and then got to fly in the wind tunnel and compare their results.  Most cadets reached terminal velocity and "floated" in the wind tunnel with the wind about 120 mph.  Carter Oglesby said he was surprised by all the math behind the experience and once in the wind tunnel, he had trouble keeping his mouth shut because he was yelling with joy.  

Hunter Safety Team Competes in State Youth Hunter Education Tournament

The 44th Annual State Youth Hunter Education Tournament was held on Saturday, April 30 in Elbe, North Carolina. Congratulations to our Hunter Safety Team, who placed 3rd in the Hunter Skills competition and received the Sportsmanship Award. Josh Goodman placed 3rd individually in the Hunter Skills competition and was 1st place Overall Individual. Congratulations also to Sallie Parker, who placed 1st in the Hunter Skills event.

Abigail Gracen Receives Scholarship to Attend Marine Ecology Camp

Piedmont 9th grader, Abigail Gracen, has been awarded a full scholarship to attend a Marine Lab STEM Camp in Key Largo, Florida this summer. The week-long camp focuses on marine ecology, which involves the study of living things in the ocean and how they interact with the environment. High school students snorkel coral reef sites, a mangrove forest, and through seagrass. The scholarship was awarded based on high academic achievement and teacher recommendations and is sponsored by the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. We are so proud of you, Abigail! 

JROTC Presents Colors at Charlotte Club Football Game

For the first time since 2016, JROTC cadets from Piedmont High School returned to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, April 10 to present the colors.  There have been many changes since 2016.  In 2016, they presented at a Panthers football game, and this past Sunday, they presented at a Charlotte Football Club game and had an 8th grader on the team.  In addition, gone away are the "Chrome Dome" helmets, instead replaced by the same Wheel Caps worn by active-duty Air Force Color Guard teams.  One thing that hasn't changed, however, is the professionalism and attention to detail exhibited by the cadets.  Cadets that performed were Michael Austin, Caleb Moss, Aiden Pilotto, Karolyne Gordon, Madison Cruz, and Barbra Funderburk.  

BETA Club and TTA Send Care Packages to Deployed Soldiers

Members of our BETA Club participated in a service project in March where they collected snacks, health items, and toiletries to send to soldiers who were recently deployed to Germany.  In addition, TTA students have been collecting food and supplies, in addition to participating in shopping learning experiences where they select and purchase items to be included in the boxes. The care packages have been delivered, and students received pictures from the recipients who are deployed.  Piedmont appreciates all those who serve in our military and hopes that the care packages were able to spread joy to the soldiers serving in Germany.

Football Fundraiser Now in Progress

Coach Aaron Braswell has announced that the spring fundraiser for the Piedmont Football Program is now in progress.  Supporters can go to the donation page at https://www.myteamworks.org/PiedmontABC-PHSfootball to financially contribute to the football program.  The goal for the fundraiser is $25,000, which will be used to purchase new Columbia blue uniforms, an inflatable tunnel, updated shoulder pads, and more.  Players will receive rewards as an incentive to raise money, so ask your favorite football player for their personal donation link so they can earn prizes!  

Vincent Pope Awarded DAR Good Citizen Scholarship

The local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) announced six winners of their Good Citizen Award at a ceremony on March 9th. Students selected for the award exhibit dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism. This year, Piedmont High School Senior, Vincent Pope, was selected out of those six students to receive the DAR Good Citizen Scholarship of 2022. Congratulations Vincent!

Dr. Ellis shares insights on the Ukraine-Russia conflict with Social Studies students

Piedmont High School hosted Dr. Ellis, a political science professor from Wingate University, as a guest speaker about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Dr. Ellis explained that before the Soviet Union fell, Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union. “The 80s were a big push to cause the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991”, Dr. Ellis noted. “The biggest revolution for a lot of people is the fall of the Berlin Wall and the fall of Communism in the former Soviet Union.”  Ellis helped Social Studies students understand the background of the current conflict taking place in this region. 

Noah Cauble Wins State Wrestling Title

Noah Cauble accomplished a childhood dream on Saturday, February 19 at the Greensboro Coliseum as he captured the North Carolina 4A Division State Wrestling Title at 106 pounds.  Noah did this in convincing fashion as he shut out his opponent 5-0.  Noah made a run of four consecutive victories during the tournament to complete the task of becoming a State Champion.  The victory on Saturday night was also special in that it was Noah's 100th career victory.  Noah became the 12th wrestling state champion in school history and the first to accomplish this feat in the 106-pound weight class.  Noah will now go to Virginia Beach next month to compete in the Virginia Beach Nationals in the Junior Division. Congratulations Noah!

Evan Sawyer Receives Appointment to West Point

Congratulations to Evan Sawyer, who has received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point.  Evan's appointment comes after a challenging application process that involves submitting an academic and leadership portfolio, interviewing with a Field Force representative, and completing a rigorous physical fitness assessment.  Candidates who apply to a military academy must receive a nomination from a Congressional representative, and Evan received his nomination from Representative Dan Bishop, who represents the 9th District in North Carolina.  Evan's accomplishments at Piedmont include serving as Student Government President and Senior Class President, being a member of the National Honor Society, and playing football for four years.  In addition, Evan gives back by helping coach the middle school basketball team.  Evan plans to continue his athletic career by joining the sprint football team at West Point.  Evan will report on June 27 for BEAST, which is the West Point term used for summer basic training.  He will join two former Piedmont alumni, Luke Noonan and Katie Verrill, who are currently at West Point. 

Hayley Christenberry Nominated for U.S. Presidential Scholars Program

Hayley Christenberry has been selected by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to move forward in the next round of the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. She is one of two Union County Public Schools students who are being recognized at the state level for outstanding academic achievement. Hayley will compete in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) category. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, and since that time, the program has honored over 8,000 outstanding high school seniors. The mission of the program is to recognize and honor outstanding high school seniors, and thereby encourage high attainment among all students. “I feel very honored to have earned such a prestigious award from Union County and from the state of North Carolina", Hayley said. “I am beyond excited to continue this journey and see how much further I can go with this award.”  Hayley aspires to be a veterinarian, and she is moving closer to her dream job each day as she successfully moves through the animal science pathway.  In addition to being a leader in FFA, participating in community service projects, and working as an intern at a local animal hospital, Hayley has earned her Certified Veterinary Assistant (CVA) certification.