Stats: 17, Senior at Saint James School
Notable:
- GPA of 4.0
- AP Scholar
- Spanish Honor Society
- Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society
- National Honor Society
Quotable: “Don’t sacrifice what you want in the moment for what you need the most.”
His Story: Alex shared his favorite thing about attending Saint James is all of the extracurricular activities. There are so many choices for all of the different interests people have. “I specifically enjoy football and baseball but there are so many more.” He participates in activities offered such as Varsity football, Varsity baseball, church youth group, Spanish Club, Pep Club, IPRYL, Youth in Government, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and is a Boys State Representative. He offers this advice to others entering high school: “I would say start strong because you don’t want to dig a hole for yourself. High school only gets harder, so I think the better you start academically, the better the whole experience will be.” He shared that his dad has provided the most inspiration for him by seeing how hard he works and how good things come from hard work. Alex says, “I see all the time how smart he is, and I strive to be like him.” He wants to be remembered as a hard worker who is always kind to people.
What’s Next: Alex wants to be an Orthopedic Surgeon. He became interested in this profession after he broke his leg playing football in 8th grade. He has grown up around medicine because his father is a neurosurgeon, but never really had that much interest. He became super interested after he saw all of the x-rays and machines. His interest has grown since he learned that he can stay connected to sports through this field. Alex volunteered in the Baptist South Summer Teen Volunteer Program. This helped him see the medical field closer through volunteering in the different ICUs.
Parental Guidance (PG) Rating: Alex stated, “Something about my family that makes me proud is how hard my parents work. My dad is a neurosurgeon, and my mother takes care of five children. They constantly show me how to work hard and it makes me very proud.”
Parents’ Perspective: Thomas and Emily shared, “Alex has a wide range of interests and abilities. He’s maintained a very high GPA while also staying very involved in sports and other extracurricular activities. We most admire that Alex is both willing and able to stop and help others: from changing a tire for a woman stranded on the side of the highway to help an elderly woman he saw weed whacking along a busy road—he’s not afraid to step in and be kind. We’ve tried to help Alex by setting high expectations. We’ve also encouraged him to try different activities that interest him, and we work hard to show up and support him.”
Parent to Parent: The Whisenhunt family encourages other parents to “hold their child accountable to achieve their highest on their own, but to be there for support along the way. Recognize the child’s individuality and encourage them to explore activities that they are interested in, even if it’s new.”
