Star's from page one
By Warner M. Montgomery
Warner@TheColumbiaStar.com

Sydney Kornegay, a recent graduate of A. C. Flora High School and the first Columbia Star cub reporter heads to Davidson after a trip to Haiti on a medical mission.

Sydney Kornegay was The Columbia Star 's first cub reporter. When the program began, Sydney was a junior at A.C. Flora High School. Now, two years later, she is headed to Davidson College on a full scholarship.

Both of Sydney's parents, Van and Patti Kornegay, teach in USC's College of Journalism, so there might be a DNA mark or two for writing in her genetic makeup. But her abilities and interests don't stop with writing and photography. Sydney is a remarkable young woman - excelling in the classroom, on the soccer field, on the basketball court, in bicycle races, in church activities, and in international service.

Since kindergarten, Sydney has only brought home As on her report card. At Flora, she was a National Merit Semi- Finalist, International Baccalaureate Scholar, AP Scholar, and Richland One High School Scholar. She was a member of the S.C. Junior Academy of Science Quiz Bowl Team, the SAT Competition Team, and S.C. Math Counts Team Honor Roll. She finished second in her class of 248 and delivered the Salutatorian Address at graduation (See below).

This vivacious scholar flirted with Duke, Furman, Wofford, and Georgia before selecting Davidson where she plans to major in pre- medicine. This week she is headed to Haiti on a medical mission.

Sydney spent two summers in Malawi, Africa, on a church mission where she worked in a children's nursery. She also spent two weeks working in an orphanage in Honduras. Her honors have come from The State newspaper, Columbia College, Richland One, S.C. Lieutenant Governor, the Red Cross, and the Salvation Army.

Since becoming the youngest member of the S.C. Press Association in 2005, Sydney has authored more than 80 articles for The Columbia Star as well as serving as assistant editor and football photographer for her high school newspaper. She is also the youngest member of The Explorers Club, an international society of explorers and scientists. And in her "spare time" over the past three years, she has worked as a cashier at the Panera Bread Company and as an independent webmaster earning money for college.

In her Salutatorian Address Sydney told her classmates, "Stories teach us about being part of something bigger. The characters only become significant when they are willing to step outside their comfort zone and join in the larger plot." Sydney has joined the larger plot. The Columbia Star applauds her and wishes her farewell and Godspeed.