By By KEVIN SCOTT CUTLER
Lifestyles & Features Editor
YEATESVILLE — It could be said that Ashley Ratcliffe likes to argue, so much so that she founded a debate club at her high school.
“It’s the first one we’ve had at Northside,” she said. “Billy Bunn is our advisor, and we’ve had two meetings so far. One of my goals is to have a debate event between students and staff here.”
Ratcliffe intends to put her powers of persuasion to good use an environmental lawyer; she hopes to attend law school at Harvard, Yale or Princeton after receiving her undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University. There, she plans to major in mathematics and minor in philosophy and dance.
That’s right, she just might be a dancing lawyer, which could serve her well. A former competitive dancer, she started taking lessons at age 3 and studied with Centerstage Dance Company in Washington.
She put dance on hold recently, knowing that as a senior facing college in just a few short months she needed to concentrate on academics.
“I’ve taken seven or eight college classes already, so I have them out of the way,” Ratcliffe said. “Since it’s dual enrollment, I get them free here.”
Academics and involvement in school activities have played a large part in her life the past few years. An honor-roll student, she’s a member of the Beta Club and Science Club. She’s active in Science Olympiad and Envirothon, as well as mathematics competitive events. She was one of only two Beaufort County students selected to attend a Soil &Water Conservation camp two years ago.
Ratcliffe is a bit of a jock, too.
“I’ve done cross-country and track for two years,” she said. “I’ve lettered in both, and I was ‘rookie of the year’ last year. I also competed at state.”
Ratcliffe has been tapped for two senior superlatives honors: outstanding senior and, of course, most argumentative.
A highlight of her senior year, so far, was the notification that she had been accepted by Wake Forest for the fall term.
“I was happy about that,” she said with a smile. “That was my No. 1 choice, and I got in early before I applied anywhere else.”
The 17-year old daughter of Billy and Penny Ratcliffe of Pinetown, she has a younger brother, Christian. The family attends Hunter Bridge Church of Christ.
When she’s not busy with school, Ratcliffe has volunteered with cleanup projects sponsored by the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation. She also works at Andy’s in Washington.
In her spare time, she said she likes “hanging out” with her boyfriend, fellow senior Douglas Wagg. She also enjoys reading and watching television.
But one thing that sets her apart from a typical teenager is another project that occupies a lot of her free time. Ratcliffe is writing a book.
“It’s called ‘42’, and it’s a book about everything that nobody likes talking about,” she said. “I talk about everything from religion to where the universe came from. Basically, I’m taking all the knowledge I have on these random topics and putting it in laymen’s terms to people can read it and think about it.”
Teen Spotlight is a joint project between Beaufort County Schools and the Washington Daily News. The students profiled are selected by their respective schools.
::SIDEBAR (not using headshots anymore to save space)::
All about Ashley Ratcliffe …
• Grade and school: senior, Northside High School.
• Favorite book: “I like ‘1984’ by George Orwell, but I also like the book I’m starting to write.”
• Favorite TV show: “House.”
• Favorite food: “Strawberries.”
• If she could spend a day with anyone in history, it would be: “Cicero, one of the great orators of all time, or Nostradamus, just to see how he thought.”
• Dream vacation: “The Bahamas.”
• Dream job: “Lawyer and astronomer.”
• Person she most admires: “My family.”