Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia Inaugural Honor Scholars to receive diploma on Saturday
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
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Inaugural Honor Scholars to receive diploma on Saturday

May 13, 2016 | 525 views

Seniors Adam Tarrant and Adrianna Young will walk across the stage on Saturday, following a four-year journey made possible by the Darlington Honor Scholarship, funded through the Second Century Campaign.

Tarrant, a day student from Rome, and Young, a boarding student from Meridianville, Ala., came to Darlington as freshmen, and quickly became acclimated as well-rounded students within the school community.

Both went through a rigorous interview and application process to be named Honor Scholars, and were recognized with the award as students who embodied the values and ideals that represent the very best of the Darlington Community. They were chosen based not only on their strong academic standing, but also because of their community service and involvement, and desire to grow, lead, learn, and impact the world.

“I went to public school until eighth grade, and you would have a great teacher here and there,” said Young. “The teachers at Darlington are some of the most dedicated people I’ve ever met. They really do care about you as a student and as a person.”

“Here, you are not just another number in a massive school,” added Tarrant. “I may not know everyone in my class very well, but I know everyone. It’s the ‘community’ aspect that puts Darlington on a tier above other schools.”

The graduating seniors both came to Darlington having already made a splash as active members of the student body in their previous schools. Upon being selected for the scholarship just over four years ago, each separately noted their excitement and anticipation in joining a community with such a global population.

“You step onto the Darlington campus and it’s like a whole new world—it’s really like having another college in the town because of the environment,” said Tarrant. “The day and dorm students are exposed to different cultures from around the world. Darlington really enriches the City of Rome.”

Over the course of his time here, Tarrant successfully completed 18 AP and Honors classes, and was named both an AP Scholar with Distinction and a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program. He served on the Honor Council, rowed crew, played golf and soccer, and was very involved in theatre, jazz band and concert band. He sings and plays the piano, trumpet and French horn.

The Eagle Scout is a 2015 graduate of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce High School Leadership Rome program and holds membership in the Cum Laude Society, Gamma Chi Epsilon Science Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.

“The Honor Scholarship changed the whole course of my life. If I had not received another scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to go here,” said the senior. “Had I not come to Darlington, I would have been a lot less prepared. It has helped me to be poised to jump right into the future.”

This fall, he will attend Centre College in Kentucky.

Since enrolling at Darlington in 2012, boarding student Young has taken 14 AP and Honors courses, and is also an AP Scholar. As a student, she served as an academic prefect in Regester House, as an Admission Tiger Expert, as a member of the “Y” Cabinet, and as a member of the Inkslinger staff. She rounded out her schedule running track, playing softball and soccer, and participating in the school’s theatre program.

“One of the biggest things I learned at boarding school was patience. Living with older brothers and living with 30 girls are two very different things,” said Young. “Additionally, I learned there’s a difference in having freedom and being independent. I may have had less ‘freedom’ here, but I was more independent.”

The senior holds membership in the Cum Laude Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society and National Honor Society.

While in Rome, Young had her horizons further broadened, going home once with an international student to see family in the Bahamas, and visiting with another Darlington boarding student in Alaska. These opportunities for travel only whet her appetite for more. As part of the Honor Scholarship Program, Young engaged in a two-week service-learning trip to the island country of Fiji through Rustic Pathways, where she taught low-income children and did construction work. This summer, she will began a gap year to work as an au pair for a family in northern Italy.

“[The Honor Scholarship] has changed my life in ways I never could have imagined. It certainly creates an opportunity for everyone that receives it,” said Young. “Not only is the education top-notch, but it’s also the connections you make and the character development. Wisdom, service and honor are the foundation to being a good citizen.”

Next year, she will enroll as a freshman at the University of Rochester in New York.

Since its creation in 2011, the Honor Scholarship has been awarded each year to two rising freshman applicants: a day student and a boarding student. The full-tuition award covers books, all materials and fees, room and board, and also provides opportunities for internships and leadership retreats. Upon being given the full ride, students must also maintain a solid performance in their academics in order to stay in the program.


For more information about Darlington's Honor Scholarship Program, click here.