Quiet students tend to get overlooked, and people may not really be able to get to know them easily. West Marion's STAR Student Kolton Peak doesn't talk much unless he's extremely comfortable with someone and even then he speaks concisely with deep thought.
Peak generally enjoys sciences the most of all classes but can enjoy anything except Spanish, which he doesn't like at all.
"I really find most classes kind of stale and boring, but when I find something I like, I throw myself into it," he said.
Despite his love for science, Peak chose English teacher Kimberly McDaniel as his STAR Teacher.
McDaniel said she was shocked when she was told that he had chosen her.
"I had someone watch my class so I could go find him," McDaniel said. "I wanted to know why he chose me because I didn't even think he liked me."
Peak gave the answer that would most likely touch the hearts of teachers everywhere.
"You can be pretty sure that most classes aren't engaging enough. Expectations tend to be really low in most classes here, but she challenged me," he said.
McDaniel said that is what she would hope he got from her class and that she had to stay on her toes as a teacher to keep up with his quick wit.
"(Peak) is so much fun to teach," she said. "He is a quick thinker and is quick-witted. You can't know that child and not love that child."
Peak earned a 29 super score on his ACT, which he took four times. He took practice tests and tried to power through one subject at a time, which he said seemed to have helped.
Peak plans to attend Pearl River Community College with a scholarship to cover most everything and then transfer to the University of Southern Mississippi for pre-med. He wants to be a psychiatrist.
"I tend to just think about stuff — the day then my environment, what I need to do and what can be done," he said. "I like to think at night when I'm away from people and all the racket. I like thinking about how people think and how their perceptions change. That's why I want to be a psychiatrist. I want to do research as well. It's hard to be super decisive."
He is the son of Landon and Brittany Peak. His grandparents are Ava McDaniel and Stanley Peak, and his great-grandparents are Rosa and Charles Bedwell.
"He's always done well," Rosa said. "It's been a pleasure to watch him, and we've enjoyed him. He's never been any trouble, and we are very proud of him. You don't find many who do as well as he did. He doesn't talk much, but he says something when he does."
Peak had the following advice for students coming up behind him.
"Don't do things to hurt yourself out of rebellion to some idea," he said. "So many people make life harder for themselves for no good reason."
