R.J. Reynolds senior Corey Byrd is on his way out of the halls of the school amid the pines, along with the other hundreds of seniors embracing this gigantic change in their lives.  

As Byrd is leaving behind him the memories of 301 North Hawthorne road, fellow seniors and friends of Corey: Nick Hill, Lloyd Gravely and Jaylen Ward are too leaving behind the school amid the pines for new journeys in college.

“I’ve known Corey since sixth grade,” senior Jaylen Ward said.  “I didn’t know anyone else in the classroom and he was the only one that chose to sit with me because I was the new kid.”

Ward expresses one instance of Byrd’s compassion and “generosity,” a word that Gravely believes effectively summarizes Byrd.  Along with being a nice person, Byrd also thrives in basketball, meeting his friends through activities such as church league basketball.

“My favorite memory was playing church basketball with him…  We were a cohesive unit on the court when we were out there. Nobody could guard us; it was a great feeling,” Ward said.

A testament to Ward’s memory is Hill’s favorite memory of Corey, in which Byrd disintegrated his ankles in a killer crossover their freshman year during a basketball game in gym class.

As aforementioned, Byrd has made a plethora of memories during his four years at RJR and is appreciative of all of the opportunities, friends and great teachers that RJR has provided him.

“My experience at Reynolds was everything I expected,” Byrd said.  “AP Psychology was my favorite class because I love learning about the brain and how it works.  Plus I had an amazing teacher [in] Ms. House.”

As Byrd reflected upon his time at Reynolds, he noted that the biggest difference between his senior year and his other years is the pressure of searching for the “right” college.  Fortunately, Byrd found that in Winston Salem State University, where Hill and Gravely will join him in the fall.

Byrd, along with other seniors, has had an, “All around…wonderful experience,” at RJR, an experience that he and his fellow classmates will carry in their memories as they move on to the next chapter of their educational journey.