Senior Matt Duncan and Jordan High School baseball will be in the spotlight Wednesday, May 14, on WRAL’s 6:00 News.  School counselor Spencer Hawkins nominated Matt in February for WRAL's High School Extra Effort Award, which has been given out each week during the school year by WRAL sports for over 20 years.

The award spotlights student-athletes in the WRAL- viewing area who excel in academics and sports, but go beyond that to excel in areas of leadership, service, and character. 

Mr. Hawkins nominated Matt as one example of the best qualities that the Jordan High School student body has to offer, citing a stellar academic record, an award-winning baseball career, a dedication of service to the Jordan High School and Durham communities, and exceptional character traits and self-advocacy skills.  "When I need help from a student for any reason, Matt is the first student I ask and he never says no.  He leads by example and does the right thing in any situation, regardless of it being the popular thing to do. He is without ego and is incredibly unassuming for a student-athlete who has done so much for so many. Matt's future is bright indeed," stated Mr. Hawkins.

Tom Suiter, longtime sports anchor at WRAL, and camerman/week-end sports reporter Jason Jennings spent about two hours at JHS on May 7 interviewing and taping Matt, Mr. Hawkins, Coach Bell, and Mr. Belvin.   Although Matt's season ended with a dislocated shoulder during an away game just prior to his last home game, the coaches honored his contributions to the team by having him throw the first pitch. 

Congratulations, Matt!  Jordan is proud of you!

Jordan High School student Samantha Mandani recently received a North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship, which is awarded to a select group of seniors each year in North Carolina.  Samantha will be awarded $6,500 for tuition at a state university to study the art of teaching. When teaching fellows graduate from college, they teach for a minimum of five years at a North Carolina public school. 

Samantha will attend North Carolina State University as a teaching fellow in high school English.  She will have many opportunities to work with students at local high schools as part of the teaching fellows program.  Samantha has excelled in her English and Creative Writing courses at Jordan. She has also published her own novel entitled, Once Upon a Time in Your Shoes, through the imprint McKinnon Press. Congratulations to Samantha on receiving this prestigious scholarship!