SPOTLIGHT ON: Mac Ridgeway, CCES Class of 2021

 

 

Cajun music, food, and fun beckoned Mac Ridgeway on his first visit to Rhodes College.  The national, four-year, private, coeducational, residential college in Memphis, Tennessee is committed to the liberal arts and sciences— but their annual Cajun Fest, which rivals Louisiana’s best, sealed the deal for Mac.  He happened to visit the school that weekend when alumni and parents host a large, pre-game tailgate with free homemade Cajun delicacies for students, faculty, family, and friends. “I just knew it was right for me,” he said.  “I had toured a lot of colleges with my older brother [Hal Ridgeway, CCES Class of 2018] so I had an idea of what kind of college I wanted to go to.”  Mac liked the small private liberal arts school, and he liked that it wasn’t too far from home— or too close.   

 

The 13-year veteran of CCES knows what he wants and usually has a plan of action to make it happen.  He only applied to two schools— Rhodes for early decision and Southern Methodist University early action.  Rhodes early decision is binding versus SMU’s early action, which just gets applicants a decision faster.  Mac is strongly considering a pre-med track to eventually become a pediatrician.

 

Mac has been a key contributor to the academic, athletic, and social fabric of the school.  He has played football since the seventh grade and varsity tennis (where he also served as team captain his senior year), since the tenth grade.  Mac has been a Student Ambassador, a member of the Yacht, Wildlife Management, and Bass Fishing clubs, and was selected to participate in our student-athlete Leadership Institute as well as the Greenville City Youth Commission.  He is an Eagle Scout to boot, having achieved the noteworthy accomplishment in the ninth grade.  Mac completed over 140 service hours in order to reach this highest rank and, for his Eagle Scout project, he constructed an amphitheater at the Greenville Zoo.  This amphitheater is a central part of the zoo and is even the site of weekly story time for children.  Mac’s transcript shows an upward trajectory and he will graduate having made Honor Roll all four years of high school, and with a total of five Advanced Placement courses.

 

“I’m not sure that Mac ever stops,” said Bartley Sides, Associate Director of College Counseling, also describing him as “smart, focused, and dependable.”  In doing so, he also stays cool, calm, and collected.  “If Mac had a slogan,” said Mr. Sides, “it would be positive leadership with a smile.”

 

Mac cites his highlights during his thirteen years at CCES as coaching the powderpuff team his junior year, being the bear in the second grade ecosystems play (proof that this meaningful Lower School experience sticks with students for years to come!), beating Landrum in overtime his junior year, and making it to playoffs junior and senior year for football.  “My experience at Christ Church has been great,” Mac said.  “I have made lifelong friends that I will keep in touch with and visit on breaks from college.  I've learned many life lessons along with a fantastic education that is going to prepare me for whatever I want to do in life.”

If you could be a professional athlete what sport would you choose?  Why?  Timbersports! Timbersports is a series of woodsman or wood chopping competitions where the athletes compete in the use of axes and saws in manners typical just like lumberjacks. There are currently six different disciplines, with both professional and collegiate divisions. I wanna be a professional lumberjack basically. 

If you knew you could not fail, what would you do? Find the cure to cancer and play the lottery over and over again. 

Favorite Netflix series? The Ranch.

Of all the patches on your uniform (Eagle Scout), which one means the most or which one of them are you proudest to wear? Small boat sailing- it was super fun and took a lot of time to achieve. 

Name something this world could use a lot more of? More naps. More naps would solve most people's issues!