(Posted Sept. 19, 2023)
The London Rotary Club is pleased to honor senior Gracie Stingle as Madison-Plains High School’s September Student of the Month.
Students of the month are selected by school administrators based on their academic and extracurricular achievement and positive character.
Gracie has a 4.2 grade point average and she is ranked first in her class. Her favorite course is animal and plant science, one of the agricultural education courses at Madison-Plains. Gracie has been in FFA all four years of high school, earning her Greenhand and Chapter degrees. Additionally, during her junior year, she was awarded first place in equine science placement for FFA.
Gracie has earned her varsity letter as a member of the soccer team. She is a three-year member of Key Club, and she has been in National Honor Society since her sophomore year.
Outside of school, Gracie rides horses competitively in the National Reining Horse Association (NHRA) an activity in which she has participated for eight years. The past two years, she has been Reserve World Champion in the 14-18 age division, among many other achievements. She also was elected as an NRHA youth delegate for two years in a row.
When asked which Madison-Plains staff member inspires her, Gracie said, “A school staff member who is an inspiration to me is Miss (Molly) Niese because she is a great person in every aspect. I’ll start with her teaching skills: I do not know a teacher that better lays out the format of her class and the lesson plans. Even the toughest topics within her subjects can be mastered by the way she teaches. She is a teacher who truly teaches. She will help anyone who comes in to ask for help on a topic, or even for questions that do not pertain to a subject being taught in class.
“She knows how much support to give her students–not too much to allow them to do the thinking and learning, but enough to allow them to fully figure out the concept. The passion that she has for her kids, animals, and this world is a level that I seek to have. The selflessness that she has to teach her students and the dedication to her job will really generate great people that will one day make a difference in London and beyond.”
Regarding Gracie, Niese said, “Gracie is an exemplary student within the Madison-Plains community. What inspires me most about Gracie is her capacity to advocate for herself, as well as her relentless quest for knowledge. Gracie has a long list of positive attributes, but I believe these two qualities will bring her much success after graduating from Madison-Plains. I look forward to hearing about all of her future accomplishments, because I have no doubt she will have many. Cheers, Gracie! This honor is well deserved.”
After graduation, Gracie plans to attend the University of South Carolina, as she has verbally committed to riding on their equestrian team. She plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, minoring in both business and psychology. From there, she is considering transferring to get a master’s degree. She would love for her future career to fulfill her craving to help the environment.
Gracie is the daughter of Aaron and Nicole Stingle.
The London Rotary Club has a proud history dating back to 1929. It is a member of Rotary International, a volunteer organization of 1.2 million businesses and professional leaders united worldwide to provide humanitarian service and help build good will and peace.
