Bartow County Student Accepted To Duke

From the Bartow County School System: Cool, calm and collected; all attributes Woodland High School senior Christian Welch possess, making his academic achievements as a Wildcat all the more impressive.

“Christian is a once or twice in a career kind of student,” says Tiffany Post, an Advanced Placement Language and Composition teacher at Woodland High School. “He challenges me as much as I challenge him, all the while showing the utmost respect,” adds Post.

Welch currently ranks number one in his Senior Class with a 101.8-grade point average, and his accolades do not stop there. Welch recently achieved an SAT score of 1560, receiving a perfect mark on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section and a near-perfect score on the Math section. Welch’s ACT score of 35 takes him to the top one percent of test-takers nationwide.

The national merit semifinalist was also named STAR student by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, which may qualify him for state and regional awards later this year. With that designation, Welch was allowed to pick a STAR teacher. He chose Post. “We have the best personal relationship. She’s real, to-the-point and gets down to my level to teach and transform tough subjects into concepts that I’ll take with me to Duke University next fall,” says Welch.

After being accepted into Georgia Institute of Technology and Duke University, Welch chose the private research university in North Carolina that is often referred to as a top ten Ivy League Alternative. “I visited the campus in seventh-grade and fell in love with it because students there are academic-minded and have a lot of school spirit,” said Welch. Majoring in Biomedical Engineering, Welch hopes to become a physician.

“Christian possess the one true trait of all successful students, intrinsic motivation. He will do great things,” says Crawford Taylor, Welch’s AP Government and Sociology teacher.

Welch started his academic career at Mission Road Elementary School before attending Woodland Middle School. While at Woodland High School, Welch enrolled in AP classes as a sophomore and then qualified for the dual enrollment program at Georgia Highlands College.

When Welch is not engrossed in molecular collisions and the laws of thermodynamics, he keeps himself busy with Beta Club, Science Olympiad, Spanish Honors Society, National Honors Society, and at one time, the Governor’s Honors Program. Welch also clocks in at Kroger every week, eager to learn the pharmaceutical industry.

“Two things that impress me the most about Christian are his humbleness and respectfulness. He is thankful for his academic abilities, but also very modest and does not brag or boast about his accomplishments,” adds KK Smith, Welch’s school counselor.

Welch, the oldest of three siblings, is now paving the way for his brother, sister, and Wildcat family. From his humble beginnings to his humble attitude, Welch is truly a memorable face in Bartow County.

Images courtesy of Bartow County School System