Principal: L. Hernandez

Achievements/Reason for Nomination: Taylor Vause is a straight A student in Mrs. Temple’s 1st grade class at RES. She performs as a Level 5 in both math and reading. She has been the top reader with the most words read in her grade 2 months this school year. Taylor is a leader among her peers because of her intelligence, compassion and willingness to help her classmates as well as other students in the school. She enjoys taking dance classes. She also was recently chosen to display her artwork at the Wakulla High School Art Exhibit. She is dependable, funny, sweet and smart! And she deserves to be celebrated!

By BILL TAYLOR
Academic Team Coach

Wakulla High School has something to celebrate. The school’s Academic Team recently finished second in the state of Florida at the 2026 Commissioner’s Academic Challenge, competing against teams from school districts across the entire state.
It is the latest chapter in a proud tradition — the Wakulla Academic Team was founded by the Coastal Optimists Club more than 40 years ago, and has competed in all 39 editions of the Commissioner’s Academic Challenge since the tournament began in 1986.

Now in its 39th year, the Commissioner’s Academic Challenge is Florida’s official statewide high school academic tournament, sanctioned by the Florida Department of Education. Students compete across a broad range of subjects — language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, fine arts, world languages, physical education, health, and technology. It is a demanding competition that rewards hard work, broad knowledge, and the ability to think clearly under pressure, and Wakulla’s team showed all of those qualities in abundance.
Four students made the trip to Orlando and represented their school and community with great distinction. Troy Thaxton, a senior specializing in mathematics, provided steady, calm leadership throughout the competition — the kind of cool head under pressure that every team depends on.
Ronin Taylor, a junior, handled literature and art for the squad, bringing a depth of knowledge in the humanities that gave the team an important edge throughout the tournament.
Matthew Thaxton, a junior specializing in music, was the team’s leading scorer, dominating one of the competition’s most challenging categories and playing a central role in Wakulla’s run to the awards podium.
Gavin Mullins, a junior specializing in history, rounded out the team with the kind of solid, dependable performance that holds a team together when it matters most.
Coaches Bill Taylor and Trey Thaxton expressed how proud they were of the way the boys carried themselves throughout the competition. The feeling from both coaches was that these four young men put in the work, competed with class, and represented Wakulla County in a way that made everyone connected to the program very proud.
A second place finish in the state of Florida is a genuine achievement, and these four young men are a credit to their families and their school. The support of the Wakulla County School District has made opportunities like this possible, and that investment in its students was on full display in Orlando this spring.
As for what comes next — the team isn’t resting for long. Senior Troy Thaxton, who has earned an ROTC scholarship from the Marine Corps and will attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the fall, leaves behind a standard worth chasing.
Ronin Taylor, Matthew Thaxton, and Gavin Mullins, all returning next year, have already set their sights on going one step further and bringing home a state championship.
If this year’s performance is any indication, the Wakulla Academic Team will be a force to be reckoned with in 2027.
Please join us in congratulating Troy Thaxton, Ronin Taylor, Matthew Thaxton, and Gavin Mullins on a job very well done.

Principal: Stan Ward

Achievements/Reason for Nomination: Blakely is a shining example of what it means to be a model kindergarten student. Each day, she comes to school ready to learn, demonstrating a strong work ethic and a genuine love for learning. Academically, she consistently meets and exceeds expectations, eagerly participating in lessons and taking pride in her work. She shows outstanding citizenship by following classroom rules, showing kindness to her peers, and always being respectful to teachers and classmates. A natural leader, she sets a positive example for others by helping classmates, making thoughtful choices, and encouraging those around her. Her positive attitude, responsibility, and caring nature make her a true star student and a joy to have in the classroom.

Principal: Alena Crawford

Achievements/Reason for Nomination: Ja’riya Cole is a fourth-grade student who is a great example of hard work and kindness. She has earned straight A’s all year and stays organized in everything she does. Ja’riya is kind to everyone and is a positive leader to have in the classroom. This year, she won the fourth-grade 4-H Public Speaking Competition, and she also placed third in the school spelling bee. She is an example of what it means to be a successful student!

Principal: Michele Falk

Achievements/Reason for Nomination: Wakulla High School proudly recognizes senior Sydney Baker as Student of the Week for her outstanding leadership and dedication to excellence. As president of the National Honor Society, Sydney leads a student-driven organization that has grown to over 175 members this year, setting a remarkable standard for involvement and achievement. She has been an exemplary leader, spearheading fundraising efforts that have raised more than $5,000 to support NHS scholarships. Sydney’s contagious energy and commitment to building school spirit have left a lasting mark on campus, most notably through her organization of a highly successful, school-wide Spring Carnival. Beyond her leadership accomplishments, she truly embodies the NHS pillars of character, service, and scholarship in everything she does. Sydney’s future is bright as she prepares to attend Florida State University’s College of Engineering beginning this summer. Wakulla High is proud to celebrate her many achievements.

Special to The Sun

Wakulla High School proudly recognizes junior Mattie Harrell as this year’s Sunshine State Scholar, an honor that celebrates Florida’s top students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The Sunshine State Scholars Program, sponsored by the Florida Department of Education, highlights one outstanding senior from each district who demonstrates exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and a commitment to excellence in STEM fields. Mattie represents Wakulla County Schools among the state’s highest-performing students.

Mattie has distinguished herself through a rigorous academic schedule, earning a 4.30 weighted GPA while excelling in some of Wakulla High School’s most challenging courses, including Pre-Calculus Honors, Chemistry Honors, and ENC1101. As a dedicated member of the Medical Academy, she has set her sights on a future in medicine, with aspirations of becoming a physician. Outside of school, she is a competitive barrel racer and an active member of 4-H, where she has taken on leadership roles and gained valuable hands-on experience.
Her Medical Academy Instructor, Kristi Lawhon, shared, “Mattie is an excellent student who has dreams of becoming a physician. She is extremely driven and works hard at achieving her goals. She is a joy to teach.”
Known for her quiet determination and strong sense of purpose, Mattie exemplifies the character and commitment that define Wakulla High School’s student leaders. She follows a long line of outstanding recipients and is deeply deserving of this prestigious recognition.
Earlier this month, Mattie participated in the statewide Sunshine State Scholars program, where she connected with fellow top students, educators, and industry leaders while gaining insight into future academic and career opportunities in STEM fields.
Superintendent Rick Myhre shared, “Mattie is an amazing reminder of the bright future in store for our community and for our country. Her outstanding accomplishments make everyone proud to know her and should remind Wakulla County of the caliber of students we have in our schools. Thank you, Mattie, for the positive example you set for all of us!”
Wakulla High School celebrates Mattie Harrell for this outstanding achievement.

By KRISSY SANCHEZ
Special to The Sun

Wakulla High School Theatre took 27 students to Tampa this week for the Annual Florida Thespian Competition.
At this event students compete in various categories from performance to technical events. In addition to competing, students get to attend workshops with Broadway professionals and attend main stage performances on some of Tampa’s finest stages.

This year Wakulla was named a Gold Level Honor Troupe which is the highest distinction awarded by the Florida Thespians. This is the third year in a row that Wakulla has been named an Honor Troupe and the second year being named one of the Top 10 programs in the state by earning the gold distinction.
During competition students brought home the gold in solo musical, duet musical, playwriting, costume design and theatre marketing as well as a silver ranking in set design.
The students were also awarded for their full length production of “Harvey” which was adjudicated by MainStage judges in November.
In addition to the show’s recognition as a whole, Junior and Troupe President Logan Hand was named part of the All Star Cast for Florida Thespians for his role as Elwood P Dowdin the show and Kathryne Golden was named part of the All Star Crew Team for Stage Management.
Lastly, Troupe sponsor Krissy Sanchez was recognized as the Florida Theatre Associations Jan McArt Director’s Chair Recipient for her outstanding contributions to theatre education.
I could not be more proud of these students and all the long hours and hard work they put into perfecting their art.
You come to this event, which is the largest high school theatre competition in the world with more than 9,000 people in attendance, and you’re surrounded by these people who love your craft as much as you do and it’s truly remarkable.
These kids are so supportive of one another, people they’ve never met before but they’re so encouraging and uplifting. It’s truly inspiring to see these students spreading so much positivity to one another instead of just that competitive attitude.
A lot of the students really enjoyed the workshops getting to learn tap or stage combat or even work through a whole Disney performance audition with a real casting team while others went to performances by professionals like Kate Baldwin who starred in Big Fish on Broadway which was the show we performed last year. They even got to learn from Broadway performers Etai Benson and Andy Mientus who were once Florida Thespian students who followed their dreams to stardom.
I’ve said it before but some people only dream of getting to meet their favorite celebrities, I spend every day with mine and I couldn’t be more blessed.

Principal: Amy Bryan

Achievements/Reason for Nomination: Riley Gwin is a wonderful student and a pleasure to have in class. Riley comes to class each day ready to learn and always works hard to complete all assignments. Riley consistently stays on task and takes pride in doing quality work. In addition to being a responsible student, Riley is also very kind and helpful to others. Riley is always willing to assist classmates and shows respect to both peers and teachers. Riley’s positive attitude and strong work ethic help make his classroom a great place to learn. Outside of school, Riley enjoys watching and reading anime, especially Jujutsu Kaisen. WMS is proud to recognize Riley Gwin as our Student of the Week!

Special to The Sun

Wakulla High School and Riversprings Middle School recently participated in the essay contest sponsored by the Coastal Optimist Club.
The theme for this year’s contest was “How My Acts of Service Help Me Understand What My Community Means to Me.” Students were given the opportunity to write an essay of 700 to 800 words for cash prizes.

Winning first place was Tristen Hubbell, a sophomore at Wakulla High. Tristen received $100 cash for the wonderful job she did focusing on theme with a very well-written, insightful paper.
The second place prize was awarded to WHS sophomore Ashlyn Haynes. Ashlyn, who wrote about how community means not only being involved with people but also growing as a person, received $75 cash for her essay.
Third place went to Scarlette Brown, a junior at WHS, who received $50. Scarlette’s essay was well-constructed with a wide range of community involvement from soccer refereeing and physical therapy clinics to mission trips and forming close connections.
Receiving fourth place was Hudson Folsom from Riversprings Middle School. To him, community means meeting, helping, and feeding people as well as developing a strong sense of belonging. Hudson was awarded $25.
Two other students from Riversprings Middle won Honorable Mention Awards. Kerrigan Jamison and Hunter Antrobus received $20 each. Kerrigan did a great job of relating to the theme through her service to senior citizens, filling gift boxes and participating in food drives. Hunter’s paper emphasized that good feelings and uplifted spirits are a big part of what community means. All three of the RES students are in the 8th grade.
The awards were given out by Jo Ann Daniels, President of the Coastal Optimist Club. The club has been promoting student success through poster, essay and oratorical contests as well as scholarships since 1971.
The club motto is “Friend of Youth” and they are part of Optimist International, one of the world’s largest service clubs. The themes for both the essay and oratorical contests are available on-line at optimistinternational.org by November of each year.

Principal: Susan (Vicki) Tillman

Achievements/Reason for Nomination: Sam is always smiling and happy. He voluntarily turns in three songs each week for the “Tune Tuesday” for the school. Sam loves music and is an aspiring DJ.