For more than four years, Mamie Herring has been working tirelessly to be the absolute best she could be, and her impressive dedication paid off with her being named the 2023 salutatorian for Columbia High School.
Herring said she has worked hard to be at the top of her class even before high school began, taking summer classes and participating in extra programs, so it means even more to her to earn salutatorian as it’s a direct reflection of her hard work paying off.
“My older sister was salutatorian so I knew I at least wanted to be in that same spot. It was kind of an unspoken competition for me,” she said.
Columbia High School added some intrigue for how the students learned of their class rank. The top-10 students were called to the office at the same time, and one by one they went into the principal’s office and were handed an envelope. They had to open the envelope and read to learn where they finished among their peers.
“It was in no particular order so we just had to sit there and anticipate when we were going to be called,” Herring said. “It was kind of a scary process, but I just felt relief. Our class is so competitive, so I was just happy to be in top-10. I didn’t know where I stood at in the top-10 students, so I was just so relieved.”
Herring is actually a co-salutatorian with Aria Blackard as the pair tied down to the decimal point. While some students may have been irked by having to share the title, Herring and Blackard are friends and have gone to school with each other since kindergarten. Their moms are also friends, they go to church together and have helped each other academically throughout high school. Herring said they knew they were going head to head in class rank, but it was never a mean competition.
“It really is (cool to share it with her),” Herring said.
Unlike most prospective college freshmen, Herring will not be starting school in the fall. Instead, she’s not even taking a full month off and will begin taking her basics at Ole Miss in June. With plans to go into allied health, she wants to go into the advanced nursing pathway offered by the Oxford school.
Herring’s little brother is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, and she has seen firsthand how much of a difference good nurses can make not only for the patient but their family. She can see herself being that type of person who makes a difference for families and said she likely will go into pediatrics.
Her mom, Angel, has helped her through every subject and helped open up doors for Herring outside of school, making sure she’s applying for different opportunities and providing support every step of the way. She said she has also had some phenomenal teachers within the Columbia School District who have made her want to try hard in school and enjoy it.
Herring has been involved a long list of extracurricular activities, including the Lott Summer Leadership Institute with Ole Miss, Girls State, Hoby, Pearl River Valley Electric Youth Program, Stephen Palazzo Summit and more.
While her high school years were filled with great experiences and unforgettable memories, her favorite moments were cheering on the Wildcats football program on the sidelines because it encompasses the whole high school experience at once.
“It’s just an environment like no other,” she said. “Also, being on the Paw Prints staff and getting to capture every sports team and club, even the ones I’m not involved in, I really enjoyed that. Getting to celebrate all the milestones, like the 29+ Club, with all your friends, especially when they get in it too, there’s a lot of personal achievements you can celebrate at Columbia High School that they will reward you for.”
Paw Prints produces a weekly show that airs in school on Monday mornings, and Herring got to edit video from the football games that she won a few statewide awards for. She said she loved doing it, and it was one of her favorite parts of high school.
Herring encourages younger students at Columbia High School to be as involved as possible because there are so many opportunities to be a part of something bigger than yourself that are also a lot of fun.
“Even if you’re not academically gifted, there are ways you can get involved to make the most of your high school experience,” she said.
Herring is the daughter of Simon and Angel Herring.
