THS a special place for Wilkinson
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.
Tharptown senior Lauren Wilkinson, 18, has been a leader in the classroom and in the community during her time as a high school student.
She has walked the halls of the Tharptown schools since she was in kindergarten and said she enjoyed being involved at a school she loved so much.
“Tharptown is just a great place to go to school,” Wilkinson said. “We have the greatest faculty. I really feel like they are role models and they care about the students.
“They have open door policies and make us feel like we can talk to them and get help when we need it, and that helps us learn more and be better students.”
While at THS, Wilkinson has served as vice-president of National Honor Society, president of Students Against Destructive Decisions, vice-president of 4-H, treasurer of the student council, vice-president of her class, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, a member of the Homecoming Court, and she was voted Most Likely to Succeed.
“Some of my favorite high school memories have been pep rallies and cheering at games because we’re all together cheering on our team,” she said. “All my classmates and I have basically grown up together and I love that we all know each other. It will be hard to leave that kind of an atmosphere once we graduate.”
Wilkinson has also been an active participant in community events, especially through her role as a member of Franklin County Junior Leadership where she helped with festivals and received the Silver Presidential Award for having the second highest amount of community service hours.
“Junior Leadership was a great experience because it gave me a chance to learn more about the county I live in and meet people from other schools,” she said. “I also liked getting to help others.”
This past summer, Wilkinson had the chance to learn more about the community and how local and state governments work as the THS representative to Girls State.
“I enjoyed learning new things about how our government works,” she said, “but probably what was the best part for me was being in a new place, meeting new people and having to come out of my shell.
“I made so many friends and I really feel like it helped me get more prepared for college and being out on my own.”
As for her college plans, Wilkinson said she wants to attend the University of North Alabama in Florence where she will study pre-pharmacy.
“We were at UNA this summer for cheer camp and I started looking around campus and realized it would be a great fit for me,” she said.
Wilkinson said after her time at UNA, she hopes to transfer to Auburn University and be accepted into the Harrison School of Pharmacy.
“I job shadowed this past year at Russellville Pharmacy and I loved the atmosphere,” she said. “After that, I knew pharmacy was what I wanted to do.
“Auburn has a great pharmacy school and it’s just an added bonus that I’m an Auburn fan, too.”
After graduating with her degree, Wilkinson said she plans to come back to Franklin County to practice pharmacy and settle down.
“Franklin County is just a good place to live and raise a family,” she said.
She added that she also wanted to do her part to make Franklin County a better place and help the community in the future.
“I want to establish a scholarship program in my grandfathers’ names,” she said. “I want to help other kids have the chance to go to college and better themselves.
“I want them to know that if they will just do what makes them happy and always do their best, everything will work out in the end. Hard work pays off.”
Wilkinson is the daughter of Chris and Renee Wilkinson. She has a younger brother, Jake, who is 16 years old.
