Next steps: Local seniors reflect on high school careers, future plans

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From leading a championship soccer team to learning to weld to representing the state of Alabama on the national stage, the Class of 2023 in Homewood has an impressive resume.

In honor of this year’s senior class, The Homewood Star is featuring two Homewood High School seniors and one senior from John Carroll Catholic High School.

Maddie Massie  

Maddie Massie has been playing soccer since she was 3 years old.

Now, as she wraps up her time at Homewood High School, she’ll finish as a two-time captain, two-time state champion and one-time runner up.

“I’ve loved it,” Massie said. “It’s a way for me to be competitive.”

Although her time as a Patriot is ending, Massie will continue her soccer career at Furman University in South Carolina.

Serving as a captain for the high school team has taught Massie what it takes to get the team ready, how to navigate relationships and the importance of having fun. Rather than just focusing on the next opponent, Massie said the most important part of playing the game is to have fun.

While learning the lesson may not have been enjoyable, Massie has also learned from soccer through the hard times. The year that Homewood finished as a runner-up, they lost the state championship game on penalty kicks, helping her learn how to persevere. Reflecting on her time at Homewood High School, Massie said winning a state title is her favorite memory.

“I absolutely loved that team,” Massie said.

Furman is a “really beautiful place” that presents great opportunities both academically and athletically, Massie said, and she is excited to see where soccer takes her.

Her competitive streak extends to the classroom as well. Just as she followed her two brothers onto the soccer pitch, she also followed them in her pursuit of academic excellence. Outside of her SGA period, all of her courses are AP classes, presenting a challenge. While it can be hard at times, Massie said there are people and resources to help her.

“Homewood is amazing,” Massie said. “All of my teachers have been so encouraging and motivating to me.”

Homewood offers a diversity of both people and ideas, Massie said. Leaving Homewood will be sad, she said, but she is excited to meet new people and be pushed academically.

In addition to her prowess on the pitch and pursuit of greatness in the classroom, Massie has been committed to serving others as well. She is currently the vice president of the high school’s student government association, serves on a local philanthropy council and has also been a peer helper. In her spare time, she also has worked as a tour guide at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute for the past two years.

“That really altered my perspective on things,” Massie said. “I got to meet some amazing people.”

Serving on the Youth Philanthropy Council has made Massie aware of pressing issues such as food deserts, she said, while being part of SGA has helped her improve the lives of her classmates. That desire will carry over to her next steps, as Massie said she wants to work in the medical field and pursue “different types of endeavors” to help her community.

“I want to help other people,” Massie said. “I want to know I made a difference in someone else’s life.”

Stanley Stoutamire

Music has always been a major part of Stanley Stoutamire’s life.

So when the opportunity came up for him to serve as drum major for the John Carroll Catholic High School marching band for his junior year, he jumped on it.

This past fall, under his leadership, the band competed in the state’s marching band competition for the first time in several years, earning superior ratings and best in class. It served as an affirmation of the band’s work, Stoutamire said.

In addition to his leadership of the band, Stoutamire has served as a state ambassador for 4-H, served in the school’s student government association, coordinated a food drive and was one of two state representatives in the U.S. Senate Youth Program, a weeklong learning event in Washington, D.C.

“I have this desire to push myself and see what I can accomplish,” Stoutamire said.

That is accompanied by a strong desire to help others, something he has been able to do through the food drive and representing his fellow students on SGA.

“I want younger students to see me and know they can do it, too,” Stoutamire said.

The Senate Youth Program gives talented students an opportunity to travel to D.C. and engage with senators and staff. They discuss public service, leadership and more, Stoutamire said.

The night he found out he would be going was “one of the most exciting nights ever,” he said. Being in D.C. around the nation’s leaders taught him to not limit his view on what leadership looks like. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado, told the students not to think of leadership as some sort of set path, which was a relief to Stoutamire.

“Everything feels like we have to decide who we’re going to be for the rest of our lives in three weeks,” Stoutamire said.

Contrary to what the headlines or social media might imply, Stoutamire said he saw bipartisanship in the Senate and met with other public servants like librarians and the archivist.

Stoutamire is not 100% sure what he will do next, but is considering going into pre-med or chemistry. He has been accepted into the University of South Alabama’s Early Acceptance program, the University of Alabama’s Honors College, Ohio State, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Princeton and Harvard.

Being at both John Carroll and Prince of Peace prior, Stoutamire has been afforded opportunities to grow as a person and focus on becoming a community leader, he said. Having a built-in community allows him to not only focus on academics, but also on his mental and physical health, he said.

Stoutamire said as a physician, he would want to help create a culture of political advocacy in healthcare, as some studies have shown doctors vote at much lower rates than other professions.

No matter what the future holds, Stoutamire said he wants to remain someone “who is invested in their community,” and to make sure he is a positive force for good in whatever community he is in.

Bryce Sims

Bryce Sims knew he wanted something other than a four-year degree as he got into his studies at Homewood High School.

After talking with a counselor at the school, Sims began participating in the Academy of Craft Training, which trains high school students in various hands-on work. Sims began on the building construction path but wasn’t sure if that’s what he wanted to do, either.

So this past year, Sims switched paths to welding and fell in love with it.

“It’s always a challenge,” he said.

Sims said welding offers him a chance to improve and be the best he can be. Every day for two hours, he learns how to weld from teachers who “do a fantastic job,” he said. While Homewood High School is a “heavy college prep school,” he said, it is a great school that has provided him with a great education.

Sims will be attending Shelton State Community College for further training in welding, which will allow him to get a certificate and get into the workforce quickly. With welding jobs in high demand, Sims said he isn’t worried about finding a job.

Sims’ dad and others in his family also work “blue-collar” jobs, he said. From an early age, he learned the importance of working hard for family.

“To provide for the people you love, you have to work for it,” he said.

Sims said he is excited to get down to the campus and learn new skills so he can begin welding.