GRIND & GRIT
PROFILE
Payton Sargent ’ s determination , organization stand out to peers , teachers at AHS
STORY BY ANDY KNIGHT PHOTOS BY ANDY KNIGHT AND LISA HOBBS
On many occasions , when the final bell at Anderson High School rings shortly after 2 p . m ., Payton Sargent ’ s day is just beginning .
She might hurry to the school gymnasium for basketball or volleyball practice , or to the library to lead a student council meeting , or to the cafeteria for a meeting with Intersect , a student volunteer club affiliated with the Anderson Rotary Club .
“ How much paper do you have ?” college and career counselor Terry Wilson says with a laugh when asked about Sargent ’ s extracurricular activities . “ Payton is involved in everything .”
Keeping tabs on her schedule , Payton says , didn ’ t initially seem challenging – until she sat down to type it out . “ I feel like I still have a lot of time ,” the senior notes . “ It ’ s like I ’ m not constantly somewhere , but I am constantly somewhere . It just magically happens .”
Sargent , a National Honor Society member , also keeps busy with a host of other volunteer and leadership activities . She ’ s the student representative on the board of the Anderson Education Foundation , and she was named one of Madison County ’ s YMCA Athletes of Character this year .
Payton also participates in Jobs for American Graduates , a federally funded program that offers students resources to assist in after-high school education and career preparation .
Her ability to manage a daunting workload is impressive to many of her teachers and coaches , who single out her determination and organizational skills as traits that have helped her excel in and out of the classroom .
“ No matter what happens or how overloaded she is – and she can be overloaded with her classwork – she ’ ll be like , ‘ I ’ m stressed . But I ’ m going to get it done , because I know I have to , and I ’ m going to ,’” says Alexis Gurley , a science teacher at the high school who has coached Payton in volleyball .
“ Definitely that ( ability to ) grind and that grit , I think , is what makes her so successful .”
Gurley and other teachers note that Payton ’ s leadership abilities often show through in classroom settings , where group projects can sometimes take on outsized importance and demand critical thinking and on-the-spot decision making .
“ When it comes time to getting that group work done , she ’ s the one that will make sure that the procedures are being followed and make sure that
28 2023 Diversity Magazine