Spotlight On: Jamie Walker, CCES Class of 2022

 

The toughest part of the college application process for Jamie Walker ‘22 was narrowing down his degree objective. Once he settled on Music Technology as his major, his runaway first choice was New York University. He shares, “Their program is much more in-depth compared to other schools I was looking at.” Those other schools included Belmont and Carnegie Mellon, both highly regarded institutions. However, Jamie knew NYU was where he wanted to be and applied early decision, a binding commitment upon acceptance. New York City will certainly be a big change from Greenville, SC, but Jamie has some family in Manhattan, making the move feel a little less daunting.

 

Jamie is a 13-year veteran of CCES, having been a student since Primer, and credits the legendary and beloved Paul Riddle for jumpstarting his love of music. He took drum camp with Paul the summer before 3^rd grade and the rest is history. Now, nine years later, Jamie plays both guitar and bass in addition to drums, loves experimenting with home recording, and is a founding member of a garage band that includes fellow seniors Alex Eastland, Smith Sanford, Weston Segura, and EC Repp. His major in Music Technology will be a fascinating combination of computer science and electrical engineering, but with a focus on music production and creation, as well as general music theory and performance.

 

Throughout his high school career, Jamie has been involved in a number of clubs and activities at CCES, including the Academic team, Ethics Bowl, and Youth in Government. He also helped found the Mutual Aid club with some friends to further “educate ourselves on current issues through acts of service in the community.” While he will soon graduate, he hopes the club will continue to “promote awareness and understanding of each other’s humanity” as it grows in the years to come. He has many cherished memories at CCES, but some of his favorites include drum concerts, of course, as well as tournaments and competitions for Academic team and Youth in Government, both of which typically perform very well. Additionally, Jamie has maintained Highest Honor Roll, earned Summa Cum Laude on the National Latin Exam, and received Gold at Clemson’s Poetry Declamation. 

 

Although it seems like Jamie’s love and focus on music developed pretty early on, he did not let that keep him for taking a range of classes to broaden his perspectives. He names IB Econ with Mrs. Carmichael, IB English HL with Mrs. Nelson, and Bio Honors and AP Bio with Mrs. Unger as some of his favorites, all influencing him in different ways. He calls IB Econ “the most unique and thought-provoking” and says it has “changed the way I look at the world around me.” He enjoyed the discussion-heavy IB English HL class structure and notes, “it has made me a much more thoughtful person.” Bio Honors and AP Bio taught Jamie to “appreciate the life around,” specifically through some of the creative learning projects, including Garden Towers and the application to localized issues of food security.

 

Jamie is well loved by his teachers who appreciate his responsibility, critical thinking, and fun sense of humor. He is both “a cornerstone in class” and a “deep thinker who is mature beyond his years.” One of teachers shares, “Jamie goes beyond to stretch his thinking and ideas of those around him and he is open to diverse perspectives.”

 

Lindsey Waters, Associate Director of College Counseling, describes Jamie as “bright and extremely impressive,” noting many learning experiences he has sought out on his own. In addition to his extensive IB schedule, he has taken advantage of Global Online Academy courses in Climate Change and Greek Language as well as pursuing an independent study in Music Theory which requires him to be at school early multiple times a week. Waters speaks for many when she says, “I can’t wait to see what Jamie does next.” While his setting will be vastly different in the fall, we are confident Jamie will remain committed to taking the initiative in learning and exploring new ideas.  

 

Favorite class at CCES? Latin Class.

Top 3 songs on your current playlist? “The Rain Song” – Led Zeppelin; “If Not For You” – George Harrison; “Can It Be All So Simple” – Wu Tang Clan

Favorite book you’ve read in the past year? Brave New World