Every morning a set of bright announcers appear on your homeroom teacher’s screen with daily news on upcoming events, sports, clubs, and so much more. You may hear their voices once a week, but how well do you really know them? Here’s a glimpse into the lives of our senior announcers and who they’ve become.
Monday: Jules Vaughn and Ella Schmidt
Ella suggested they become part of the morning announcements team. Ella said, “[Jules] said sure, and [they] became partners.” Competition wasn’t too bad for announcements this year, but it ultimately came down to Ella and Jules or another group. “Me and my partner were last to apply so it was between us and another group I was okay with it going either way,” Jules tells The Print.
Ella has had lots of prior experience with announcements as she has been an announcer for both her middle and elementary schools. She says she “thought it’d be a really full circle moment to wrap up [her] schooling.”
Over the summer, Ella visited her friends and boyfriend, soaking up her best friend’s last summer before college. She is also the president of mock trial and a leader for Envirothon. Ella wants to study law, justice, and society at the University of Washington in Seattle. Though it is far away she really enjoys the atmosphere stating that, “the culture and the nature around it really drew [her] to the area.” Her goal is to become a lawyer.
Jules spent her summer working two full-time jobs while balancing travel vacations. Jules seems to be into the environment and the world around her, as she loves to hike with her dog and is an active member of the Envirothon club. She plans to go into a marine biology or dental school, hoping to attend UMD or Tufts University.
Tuesday: Ashley Myers and Emma Nigro
Emma and Ashley have been best friends for a while, which was why it was a no-brainer when they chose to work with each other for Tuesday morning announcements. “We had to pick a partner, who in my case was my beautiful best friend, Ashley,” Emma tells The Print. They joined the announcements team because it was a fun way to get involved in the school. “I wanted to become a morning announcer because I wanted people to know a familiar face and to start their day off right,” Ashley says.
Over the summer, Ashley visited the Outer Banks and volunteered as a counselor at a summer camp. She also writes for The Print and is an active member of FCA – Fellowship of Christian Athletes – and the French Club. Ashley is looking into applying to schools in the Carolinas, majoring in elementary education and minoring in journalism. A fun fact about her is that her favorite food is mac and cheese.
Meanwhile, Emma is looking for schools where she can major in linguistics so she can be a translator. Emma spent her summer working at Celebree and playing lots and lots of volleyball. Emma’s fun fact is that her favorite food is ice cream.
Wednesday: Lawrence Acevedo and Zack Patton
Zack and Lawrence both got into morning announcements after hearing about it from their friends. “Seeing them up there every day just seemed like a fun thing to do,” Zack says. They both find “it’s a nice way to start the day,” Lawrence says, “to just do something for [people]. Not everyone likes going to school so you can make it worthwhile.”
Zack spent his summer working for Vagabond Sandwich Co. and the Fallston Club “Sink or Swim Cafe.” He is a big part of the drama community both at Fallston and in Bel Air. He recently joined a professional drama company out of Bel Air doing School of Rock the Musical. Zack will appear in the fall play this year as he has been a part of Fallston’s drama program for most of his high school career. Zack is looking at colleges in Nashville, Tennessee for music business.
Like Zack, Lawrence is also a part of Fallston’s drama company. The two are each a part of French club, French honor society, marching band, and ITS drama company. Over the summer Lawrence fished and went to the gym. His major summer vacations were to Canada and Ocean City. He’s looking to apply to UMD, Penn State, and Yale for engineering, biology or biomed.
Thursday: Kylie Thrift and Ella Griffith
With a last-minute decision, Ella and Kylie planned to join the morning announcements crew as a fun way to be involved in our school. Ella says she joined “to have a leading role with the school.” Ella is currently a part of One Love Club and Morgan’s Message while Kylie is the Science NHS Vice President.
Kylie is planning on studying forensic science at West Virginia University. Over the summer she went to Ocean City with her friends and ate her favorite food, crabs. “Not only do I think I’m a good public speaker but it’s great for your transcript/resume and is a fun school activity to do with a friend,” Kylie tells The Print.
Ella wants to major in early childhood education and attend Towson University. Over the summer she visited Punta Cana with her family.
Friday: Sarah Farally and Natalie Wirth
Freshman year, Sarah and Natalie had promised to do morning announcements together. This year, they made their statement a reality. “The experience was so laid back. I knew I was going to be an announcer because only 10 of us tried out,” says Natalie. The two are a part of Varsity Club, One Love, Morgan’s Message and Pep Squad. Sarah is also in Senior Class Council while Natalie is also a part of FCA and the yearbook.
This summer, Natalie went to Mexico and the Hamptons and played lots of lacrosse. She is committed to Virginia Commonwealth University to play division one lacrosse and is going to major in childhood psychology.
While Natalie spent her summer playing lacrosse, Sarah worked at many sports camps and visited Ocean City, New Jersey. A fun fact about her is that her favorite food is tacos. Like many of our morning announcers, she also wanted to become an announcer because of its fun atmosphere. Sarah is committed to Bridgewater College to play soccer. She wants to study biology to go into med school and to become a pediatrician.
