VINEMONT, Ala. — I talked to Vinemont senior Kimberly Wilt in this interview and she talked about being a part of some great clubs, plus getting to know some great people in those clubs and in the band.
“It was a great experience being able to participate in different clubs throughout high school that I was interested in. I learned many beneficial skills, such as learning how to be an efficient leader, how to work well, and communicate with others,” Wilt said. “Being around great people made the overall experience even better. With dependable people, it created an environment that was more enjoyable. By being with great people, it was also easy to be punctual with any work or activities and being prepared to turn things in before the deadline.”
Kimberly talked about some of her favorite band memories and how much she learned from band director, Skylar King. She will deeply miss being in the band next season.
“I loved doing the contemporary group in band during concert season. It was with an amazing group of talented people. The practices were always really fun and entertaining, with lots of laughs in between songs,” Wilt said. “Mr. King always pushed us to always put on our best possible performance. He always said to give everything 110%. He was very passionate about music and made sure we always focused on playing better on challenging pieces. Throughout band, I would say that he has helped me find my own passion for music or certain things. He had funny remarks or sayings during band that stuck with us.”
She added,
“I learned that practice is always important. Even if it seems boring and monotonous at times, it can help you improve if you work toward your goal. I learned that I can strive toward any goal I set for myself for my instrument, especially for guitar. I took a guitar class for two years with him my final two years of high school. Throughout that time, I had started learning bass guitar, outside of the guitar class, and I was able to perform bass with the guitar class, and I learned skills and techniques that I will continue to use. I also learned more about chords and different chord progressions.”
She added,
“Giving everything 110% pushed to always go above and beyond and play to the best of my ability. He has also said practice makes perfect several times, which is very true if you want to improve. Some of his sillier sayings is when he would say ‘clear as mud’ when explaining something. Another saying is that every time we would start practicing a piece for the last time during a time or rehearsal, he would say, ‘This is the last time’, and the band would respond, ‘the best time.’ I will probably miss the guitar class and the contemporary group the most. It was a lot of fun being able to learn and perform the songs that we went over.”
Kimberly had so many great memories from high school and talked about what made Vinemont a special place to go to.
“Some of my favorite high school memories would probably be doing Gems and InSPIRESS. They were very interesting to me. We went on several field trips and did a few experiments. This year for InSPIRESS, we went on a field trip to United Launch Alliance and took a tour around the building. It was fascinating to see and learn about the process of the rockets being built. The first time I did Gems, we went to the zoo and did our presentations there. The second time I did Gems, we went to the Southern Museum of Flight. They were all very interesting and it was a great experience,” she said. “It would have to be the people. The teachers and staff really care about everybody. I’ve also made a lot of really good friends with the people at Vinemont. It’s a good community.”
Kimberly will remember a lot during her time as an Eagle and she will deeply miss going there next year.
“I feel like I will remember beginning to use Solid Edge. It was a software we were using for InSPIRESS. I had learned how to design our payloads, or our models, in Solid Edge and then we 3-D printed them. When we printed the first payload, we accidentally printed it too small, so we had it to redo it to a larger scale. It was funny, because even though it turned out really small, it still had details on it, like holes as the windows and the bumpers on the side, and it also looked cute. Solid Edge will probably also be one of the things I’ll miss. After InSPIRESS, which ended in the first semester, I was still able to learn more Solid Edge and 3-D print more things. I’ll also miss being able to hang out with my friends throughout the day and being able to take classes together.”
She gave some advice to the upcoming freshmen and talked about the scholarship that she received.
“I would say to make sure to not procrastinate, and get work turned in on time. Sometimes, the work might seem overwhelming, but you can do your work in spaced intervals and plan out when to set time aside to work. If your work gets put off to the side and it piles up, it can make it a lot harder to finish the work and make more progress. I also recommend trying out different clubs, activities, and sports. It’s a good way to get involved and find things you care about.” she said. “I received the Renaissance Scholarship from Wallace. It covers all tuition, except books. Getting the scholarship was very big. It’s important, because it’s less money that we would have to focus on paying.”
She talked about the best advice that she was ever given and what she will take away during her time at Vinemont.
“It would probably be that I can achieve anything that I set my mind toward. This advice is important to me, because I’m a determined and hard-working person, but I’m not always sure what decisions to make. The people who’ve told me this have always made it clear that I’m capable of achieving anything that comes my way and that they will always have my back and be there for me,” she said. “One of my biggest takeaways is that I was able to take classes that were challenging to me and I was able to succeed in them. Another one was learning important leadership skills in different positions. I was the treasurer for our National Honor Society Club and section leader in the band for two years.”
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