Caption: Pictured are Deep Branch Elementary Beta Club members who took 5th Place in Living Literature during a recent Beta Convention event. Pictured from left to right: Naoyme Bartley, Hope Oxendine, Callie Stubbs, Hayley Rigg, Haydin Blanks, Isabella Locklear, Malia Oxendine, Jaycee Sampson, Jacob Scott, Grayson Bullard, Jascei Hammonds, Saniya Chavis and Bailey Jacobs.
GREENSBORO — Public Schools of Robeson County students showed off their skills during recent NC State Beta Conventions in Greensboro, bringing home more than 50 awards including multiple first-place awards.
PSRC students participated in the Senior Beta Convention and the Elementary/Junior Beta Convention events. The Senior Beta Convention was held Jan. 26-27 and the Elementary/Junior Convention was held Jan. 28-30 at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.
All students who placed at the NC State Convention have the opportunity to compete at the National Beta Competition at the Savannah International Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia in June.
“We are so proud of our students,” said PSRC Superintendent Dr. Freddie Williamson.
“These events promote leadership and educational excellence. Congratulations to our Beta Club members who participated in the conventions at the state level. I would like to sincerely thank our Beta Club sponsors and parents for their unwavering partnership in the success of our students. We will continue to support student involvement in Beta Club events as our students put feet to their education and learn the importance of becoming leaders who serve others,” Williamson added.
Keely Deal, North Carolina Junior Beta State President for the 2023-2024 school year, also spoke during the Elementary/Junior Beta Convention. Deal is an 8th-grade student at Prospect Elementary School.
“Being N.C. Jr. Beta President has been one of the greatest opportunities of my life. It has been an honor representing NC statewide,” Keely Deal said.
“Beta Club has changed my life for the better and has helped me make an impact on so many other people of all ages. If I’ve learned anything it would be that we must take advantage of all the opportunities and resources that we are given and use them to be a role model and impact the world,” Deal added.
Terrell McNeill, a South Robeson Middle School student, was elected to serve as the state secretary for the Beta Club. Academic Coach Jamie Burney also was selected as an NC Beta Council member and became a lifetime status sponsor after serving as state sponsor-elect and sponsor for two consecutive terms.
Red Springs Middle School Beta Club members brought home hardware from the event including premier performer awards. Students will also compete at the national level in June.
“This was our first time attending the State Convention in years. The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves,” said Red Springs Middle School Beta Club Sponsor Shakeita Sinclair-McCallum.
“They are talking about the experience and how they loved seeing different levels of competition and how schools displayed that level of experience,” Sinclair-McCallum added.
Elementary Division Winners
Deep Branch Elementary - Living Literature Elementary, 5th Place; Malia Oxendine, 5th Place, Black and White Photography Elementary; Jaycee Sampson, 1st Place, Jewelry Elementary; and Naoyme Bartley, 3rd Place, Pottery Elementary.
Pembroke Elementary - Two Dimensional Design Elementary, 1st Place; Accessorized Design Elementary, 2nd Place; Service Learning Showcase Elementary, 2nd Place; Songfest Elementary, 2nd Place; Performing Arts Elementary - Solo, Duo, Trio - Vocalist, 2nd Place; Club Trading Pen Elementary, 4th Place; Addison Lowry, 1st Place, Painting Elementary, and Premier Performer Elementary Singer; Miles Monroe, Premier Performer Elementary Singer; Boston Oxendine, Premier Performer Elementary Singer; Eli Hammonds, 1st Place, Digital Art Elementary; Callie Lowry, 2nd Place, Digitally Enhanced Photograph; Braylee Harris, 4th Place, Drawing Elementary; Zoey Hunt, 4th Place, Fiber Arts; and Jacob Locklear, 4th Place, Sculpture Elementary.
Prospect Elementary - Italyia Bullard, 1st Place, Black and White Photography; and Nora Moore, 3rd Place, Jewelry Elementary.
St. Pauls Elementary - Jayden Nill Cruz, 4th Place, Hand Drawn Anime Elementary; and Songfest Elementary, 3rd Place.
Union Elementary - Apparel Design Elementary, 2nd Place; Accessorized Design Elementary, 5th Place; Kennedy Chavis, 3rd Place, Woodworking Elementary; Cash Szwarc, 5th Place, Language Arts 5th Grade; and Kolton Sampson, 5th Place, Recyclable Art.
Junior Division Winners
Lumberton Junior High - Bella Jayne Miray, 2nd Place, Creative Writing Junior.
Magnolia Elementary - Performing Arts Junior - Solo, Duo, Trio - Dancer, 1st Place; Performing Arts Junior Large Group, 3rd Place; and Aaliyah Hunt, Premier Performer Junior Singer.
Pembroke Middle - Three Dimensional Design Junior, 4th Place.
Prospect Elementary - Brayden Ronnie Clark, 3rd Place, Woodworking Junior.
Red Springs Middle - Marketing and Communications Junior, 2nd Place; Performing Arts Junior - Solo, Duo, Trio - Vocalist, 4th Place; Shaniya Burney, Premier Performer Junior Singer; Darious Hunt, Premier Performer Junior Singer; and Jadison Oxendine, Premier Performer Junior Singer.
South Robeson Middle - Alexia Douglas, 1st Place, Creative Writing Junior; and 4th Place Campaign Skit.
Union Elementary - Accessorized Design Junior, 2nd Place; Apparel Design Junior, 5th Place; James Bullard, 1st Place, Jewelry Junior; and Dannilynn Bowen, 3rd Place, Digital Art Junior.
High School Division Winners
Lumberton Senior High - Performing Arts Senior - Solo, Duo, Trio - Instrumentalist, 4th Place.
PSRC Early College at RCC - Three Dimensional Design Senior, 2nd Place; Robotics Showcase Senior, 4th Place; Favy Tolentino Rayon, 1st Place, Onsite Drawing Division I; Graciana Parker, 2nd Place, Language Arts 10th Grade; Brian Diaz, 2nd Place, Spanish 9th Grade; Marley Pridgen, 4th Place, Drawing Division I; and Emma Scott, 5th Place, Digitally Enhanced Photography Division II.
Purnell Swett High - Performing Arts Senior - Solo, Duo, Trio - Vocalist, 1st Place; Living Literature Senior, 2nd Place; Three Dimensional Design Senior, 5th Place; De’Avalon Jacobs, 1st Place, Jewelry Division I; Amaya Bullard, 1st Place, Jewelry Division II; Alexis Lowry, Premier Performer Senior Singer; and Zyra Bullard, 4th Place, Pottery Division I.
St. Pauls High - Sebastian Hernandez Arellanes - 3rd Place, Drawing Division II; and Ashley Lopez Ponce, 5th Place, Spanish 10th Grade.
St. Pauls High School Senior Beta Club members pose for a photo during their time at the Senior Beta Convention held Jan. 26-27 at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. Attendees (L-R) (bottom row) Sebastian Hernandez Arellanes, (middle row) Vanesa Munguia, Jamaya Simmons, Addison Wilson, (back row) Eladio Santos Basilio, Jovani Rosas Rosas, Madison Holder, Samara Locklear, Alissa Hall, sponsor, and Jessica McNair.
Purnell Swett High School Beta Club members are pictured during their time at the Senior Beta Convention held Jan. 26-27 at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.
Prospect Elementary School students participated in the Engineering competition at the Beta Club Convention. Students had to creatively design a roller coaster during the competition.