ASHLEY TERRY
Four Azle High School seniors — Ella Fuchshuber, Lily McDonald, Lee McVay and Knox Remley — were the Rotary Club of Azle’s honorary guests during its weekly meeting Oct. 1.
ELLA FUCHSHUBER
Ella Fuchshuber, daughter of Daniel and Leah Fuchshuber, participates in an organization called Blood Cancer United — formerly known as Leukemia and Lymphoma Society — and is a member of the culinary program with Family, Career and Community Leaders of America.
Fuchshuber said her friend, Kaydee Hobbs, started a group for Blood Cancer United and they worked together to raise money to help patients with blood cancer.
“We have meetings at her house, and we all are kind of like in a competition to see who could raise the most money,” Fuchshuber explained. “You send out a link for a fundraiser and just get as many people to donate as you can, and we got like $10,000.”
Fuchshuber is currently enrolled in advanced culinary and competed in a nutrition and wellness event last year, where she tracked her sister’s diet and workout routine.
“They (the judges) said I did really good,” she said. “They were really impressed because it was my first time doing this.”
Fuchshuber — who described herself as positive, funny and friendly — said her most influential teacher is Sarah Milosh, who teaches AP English Literature.
“She is such a leader, and she really knows how to teach her classroom,” Fuchshuber said. “She knows what she's talking about, and I really appreciate when teachers are hands-on and they actually engage with their students.”
Fuchshuber says she enjoys skiing, surfing and playing volleyball, and added that she loves to do activities that are “exciting and increase her adrenaline.”
Outside school, Fuchshuber has enjoyed renovating her dad’s hydraulic shop, dog sitting, babysitting and making smoothie bowls at Mamaka Bowls in Fort Worth.
Following graduation, Fuchshuber plans to attend Texas A&M University in College Station and study neuroscience before pursuing a funded Ph.D. program, where she hopes to conduct research for the school while also earning her doctorate.
Fuchshuber said she was inspired to pursue neuroscience after her younger brother underwent a series of tests related to his brain and mental health.
“It was just so interesting, all of the research that they did and all the data they gathered, and how much just comes from a brain,” she said. “It's just really interesting.” (I know … but I think it’s better this way!)
LILY MCDONALD
Lily McDonald, daughter of Brian and Desiree McDonald, has earned certifications in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign.
“In seventh grade, I found out that I really liked working with computers, and I really liked doing anything that was design, anything that was art,” McDonald said. “My freshman year, I immediately started taking graphic design classes, and it was the best thing I’d ever done.”
After earning her Adobe certifications her freshman year, McDonald said she also earned a certification for being a “professional Microsoft user.”
McDonald said she’s most proud of her Adobe certifications, receiving an award for “Best in Principles of Manufacturing” in eighth grade and keeping both an A and AB honor roll streak for years.
“One weakness I have identified myself with is the feeling of needing to do a lot of work in a teamwork project,” she said. “In my OnRamps arts and entertainment class, I always get partnered with a classmate, and I feel like I have to do a lot of work to prove myself as a good, experienced student. However, my teammates reassured me that I don’t have to do a lot of work … In order to overcome my problem, we split the project in equal parts and made sure everyone did their part.”
McDonald was also a member of the Interact Club for about half a year and participated in University Interscholastic League art, music theory and ready writing.
Although she hasn’t held a formal job yet, McDonald has served as both a dog sitter and an in-home babysitter. She was also a basketball and volleyball manager at Azle Junior High.
“I kept track of points during the games, made sure the players were OK and their practice gear was put up,” she said.
While she described herself as an “average kid,” McDonald said she likes to write stories and paint both nature and animals.
After graduation, McDonald plans to attend either Tarleton State University in Stephenville or Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia to pursue a career in graphic design or video game design.
Although McDonald said she doesn’t have a favorite teacher, she said she credits every single one for influencing her throughout her education.
“I favor all my teachers,” she said. “They all encouraged me to push harder and do better in classes.”
LEE MCVAY
Lee McVay, son of James and Jennifer McVay, is a member of National Honor Society and captain of the Criminal Justice Club.
“The Criminal Justice Club has probably been my favorite thing in high school,” McVay said. “We do a wide variety of things. I got to go to the elementary schools and teach the little kids about the criminal justice jobs, police officers, firefighters … My favorite thing is the legal aspect. I do a closing argument and expert witness, which is like the attorney side … and we have a SWAT team.”
During his junior year, McVay said he placed first in the state for the Texas Public Safety Association’s closing argument competition.
“I worked really hard to learn my speech and have an excellent presentation, and I placed higher than anyone else in the state,” he said. “As captain of the Criminal Justice Club, it has given me experience to connect with others on a one-on-one level and has given me valuable experience in leadership.”
McVay said one weakness he’s noticed in himself is procrastination, which he has worked to overcome by forcing himself to do tasks whether he wants to or not.
“I put off writing my TPSA speech for a long time, but I finally realized time was running short, and then I really concentrated on writing and practicing it so that I would be fully prepared,” he said.
Outside of school, McVay has kept himself busy, editing photos for “Love, Jenny Leigh” jewelry, taking photographs for the Interact Club and, most notably, serving as Santa Claus around Christmas for the past several years.
“I love to play Santa Claus because it makes me so happy to bring the children joy,” he said.
McVay also enjoys learning about history — specifically European history and the Civil War — and plans to utilize his love for history and criminal justice in the real world.
“I plan on majoring in history in college, and I plan on going to law school,” he said. “I’m hoping to go to the University of Central Arkansas or University of North Texas.”
He also credits Criminal Justice Club advisers Colton Delaney and Katherine Cruz for being the most influential in his high school career and igniting a passion for law he didn’t even know he had.
“They have helped me through schoolwork to my events to just basic general life advice,” he said. “They have sparked my interest in the legal field and given me profound knowledge in ways that will help me in legal events and experiences from here on out.”
KNOX REMLEY
Knox Remley, son of Cassidy Remley, is involved in student council, National Honor Society and golf, where he has won multiple North Texas Junior Professional Golfers’ Association tournaments.
“One thing that makes me unique is my passion for golf,” Remley said. “I enjoy playing whenever I can because it challenges me to stay focused, patient and disciplined. Golf has taught me the importance of practice, persistence and maintaining a positive attitude, even when things do not go as planned. It is a hobby that helps me relax, improve my skills and continuously work toward becoming better both on and off the course.”
Remley has been on the varsity golf team at Azle High School for about four years now and said the team competes in four tournaments every fall and spring season.
“We actually set the new high school record last weekend,” Remley said. “We broke it by 21 strokes.”
He is also on the E-75 junior team with the McMillan Golf Academy in Irving and said his coach there, Robert McMillan, has been one of the most influential figures in his life.
“He has helped me with my golf game and my mental game has improved, as well, which correlates to my mental health getting better,” Remley said. “I'm part of it (the E-75 junior team) with some other really great golfers. Some of them are a part of college teams.”
While Remley said one personal weakness he has is overthinking, he has now learned to focus on the facts and trust his preparation.
“During a school project, I stopped second-guessing my work and turned it in on time, which helped me feel more confident,” he said.
Remley — who described himself as having “integrity, honesty and a strong work ethic” — has also gained valuable work experience through serving as a salesman with Royal Exterior Window Cleaning.
“This position has strengthened my communication, customer service and sales skills while teaching me the importance of professionalism and building relationships with clients,” he said.
Remley said if he doesn’t earn a scholarship for college golf, he plans to attend Texas Tech University in Lubbock and pursue a career in business.
“Math, that’s really what I’m good at,” Remley said. “I wanted to pick something with numbers or something in finance.”
Until then, Remley will continue to take advanced math courses, such as college algebra, through the Tarleton Today dual enrollment program.
