Mayo High School: Merideth Tallon
Merideth Tallon, 18, of Lamar, graduating from Mayo High School for Math, Science, and Technology; winner of Mayo’s Heart of the Phoenix Award:
“I (plan to go) to the University of South Carolina Honors College. There I’m going to pursue pre-med, and then we’ll see which medical school I decide to go to from there. I want to come back to the Pee Dee and serve my community. I’ve been able to do that already through Mayo. One of the main things that I’ve done is really being involved with the Environmental Club. … I led the resurgence of the community garden there. We were able to provide fresh, free produce to the community. That’s one of my passions, being able to give back to the community. I’m a mentor at the dance studio. I’ve taken dance since I was 3. I was able to start mentoring four years ago. I’ve been able to stay with the same group of girls and teach them dance. … Going to Mayo really was one of the best decisions – THE best decision – I’ve ever made. Being able to bond with so many people from so many different backgrounds. … I would never have had the opportunities I’ve had at Mayo elsewhere.”