As the 2021-2022 school year comes to a close and graduation becomes a reality instead of a goal, Buford High School senior Amelia Barnard says she hopes to appreciate the small moments she has left with her classmates.
“I’ve been ready to graduate for a while now, so I am just hoping not to wish these next few weeks away and really just soak up the time I have left here,” she said.
A “lifetimer,” having attended Buford City Schools since kindergarten, Amelia will finish high school as an honor graduate with a 4.0 GPA and 10 AP classes on her transcript. She is also an AP Scholar with Distinction, an award granted to a student who receives an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of the exams.
“I have always been a student who loves to be challenged with the toughest of subjects,” Amelia said. “I am an analyser to the core and have always loved intense class discussions and even writing essays about relatively any piece of literature or topic.”
Amelia is part of the 2022 Literary Team that brought home the school’s 13th consecutive state championship in the GHSA Class AAAAAA Literary Competition in March. She said being part of the Literary Team has been one of the most influential experiences during her time at BHS.
“Being the Rhetorical Analysis essayist for the Literary Team this year gave me a brand new perspective as a writer and truly tested my limits in the way I analyze a composition,” Amelia said. “It definitely grew me not only as a student but also in the way I approach any academic scenario now.”
Amelia is also the leader of Mu Alpha Theta, Buford High School’s math club, a role she says has also been one of the most influential of her high school years.
“It was amazing to see fellow peers genuinely excited to just do math and tackle any challenge in front of them,” she said. “Even though I was a leader, just seeing other students’ enthusiasm gave me even more love for math and collaboration.”
Also in the subject area of math, Amelia’s favorite teacher is Ms. Laura MacAdam, who teaches accelerated pre-calculus.
“I have known her since before my freshman year and have never been able to build such a personal connection with another teacher,” Amelia said. “She has always been there for me no matter the stressor I was faced with and has supported my every decision when it has come to the next step for me. I want to thank her for the way she has influenced me during my time at Buford High School.”
Amelia’s favorite subject is AP chemistry with Ms. Lisa Cole.
“I have never had a teacher with such unparalleled enthusiasm for a subject,” Amelia said. “AP Chem was easily the most difficult course I have ever taken and despite that Ms. Cole was able to turn that class into my all time favorite. She taught me just how amazing it is to never stop learning and always stay hungry for more.”
Amelia will continue to pursue her passion for knowledge and learning in the fall at Georgia Tech, where she plans to study architectural design.
Amelia is the daughter of Holly and Johnny Barnard. She has one sibling, Hannah, 21, who attends the University of Georgia.
During her free time, Amelia loves drawing and sketching and finding new art museums to visit.
When asked how she would like to be remembered as a student, Amelia said, “Above all, I want to be remembered as an individualist, as a student who always did her own thing and never stopped pushing for the pursuit of knowledge.”
The Buford City Schools Student Spotlight is made possible by the generosity of the City of Buford.
