Editor’s Note: Franklin’s Future is a regular feature spotlighting a high school senior in Franklin County and what they have planned for life after graduation.

High school senior Steven Wood, 18, is a Red Bay Tiger through and through.

He has attended Red Bay School since he was in kindergarten and has made it a point during his time in high school to get involved in several extracurricular activities and projects.

Wood has served in leadership positions as president of the senior class and vice-president of 4-H.

He has been a member of the National Honor Society, Future Farmers of America, the FFA string band, Beta Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Spanish Club, Science Club and English Club.

He has done community work through several of these clubs such as helping with the Lion’s Club clothing drive at Christmas, a clothing drive for the tornado victims last year, tornado clean-up work and food drives through Red Bay Freewill Baptist Church.

He has also been a part of the school’s football team all four years of high school, which is where some of his greatest high school memories come from.

“Friday night football games were always the best,” he said. “I’ve always played football so I enjoy the sport, but I also like being part of a team and representing my school.

“Getting involved is just a good idea for high school students, in my opinion. It’s not good to waste your time doing nothing, and getting involved in sports or clubs not only gives you something to do but it lets you be part of something bigger than yourself.”

Wood said his time at RBHS has also been memorable just by the people who are there with him on a daily basis.

“When I graduate and go to a bigger school, I know I’ll miss living in a small town and going to a school where everyone knows you,” he said.

“I’ll miss seeing all my friends and all the teachers I’ve gotten to know and just that familiarity of being in a place you’ve grown up in.”

But even though there are things about high school he said he would miss, Wood said there are things about the future that he was looking forward to as well.

“I love all my friends I have now, but I’m looking forward to meeting some new people, too, and being in a different setting,” he said. “It’ll be a good change for a while.”

Wood said he was planning to ease into the college experience and start out taking his basic classes at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Miss.

“Going to a smaller community college first seems like the best plan because it’s cheaper and it’s an easier transition that will be close to home,” he said.

Once he finishes up at ICC, Wood said he plans to attend Ole Miss on his way to a pharmacy career.

“I chose Ole Miss because they actually have a pharmacy school that I could try to get into when the time comes,” he said. “I think that would be better than going to a different school and then trying to get into Ole Miss’s pharmacy school later.

Plus, my brother-in-law went to Ole Miss and liked it, and when he took me to campus I ended up really liking it too. It just looks like it will be a good fit.”

Wood said he settled on a pharmacy career because it seemed like something he would enjoy.

“Pharmacy uses subjects that I have already done well in during high school, like math and science, so I think I would like the work,” he said. “It’s also a good job and a good career to have right now.”

Once he graduates with his degree, Wood said he would like to settle down near a bigger town like Tupelo, Miss.

“I have sisters that live in Tupelo so I would be closer to my family,” he said, “and it would be a good place to live because there are more things to do there and more job opportunities.”

Wood said he planned to spend the next few months before he graduated hanging out with his friends, playing the guitar and making the most out of his time in high school.

“The best advice I could give anyone would be to not waste your years,” he said. “Most people always have something they wish they had done when they get to their senior year – tried harder in school, made better grades, done more activities, played a sport. Start doing all those things now so you won’t have regrets later.”

Wood is the son of Alan and Debra Wood. He has two older sisters, Jennifer Smith and Brooke Wood.