After long days filled with AP assignments, honors coursework and ACT preparation, Sam Rockefeller often came home and painted with watercolors.
The Destrehan High School graduate said art became one of the most important parts of her high school experience, giving her a creative outlet while she pursued the academic success that led to an ACT score of 31 and numerous honors and scholarships.
“I have always been a very creative person,” Rockefeller said. “Being in so much academic stress, sometimes it is nice to come home and just paint.”
Through Student Council, she used her artistic talents to create football run-through posters, calendars and other artwork displayed throughout the school.
“It’s really nice to walk around school and see my handwriting and my drawings everywhere,” she said. “It’s definitely really fun.”
Rockefeller also participated in Talented Theatre productions. Her first performance was in “Annie” when she was in sixth grade.
“Being able to go into theater and just do some fun improv games and just be able to be myself completely was a fun way to relieve stress,” she said.
Her passion for the arts also extended to literature. As president of the National English Honor Society, Rockefeller said she wanted to help students appreciate reading and writing at a time when technology and social media dominate communication.
“I really enjoyed being able to lead juniors and seniors through a new awakening for the love for the English language,” she said. “That was really important to me because I do love to write and to read.”
For Rockefeller, art is an important communal experience.
“Everyone has some sort of art they value, whether they’re making it or just a viewer,” she said. “There’s always something someone can get out of art. It can absolutely bring people together.”
Creativity helped Rockefeller manage stress, but academics remained a central part of her high school experience. She spent years in advanced classes and challenged herself with a rigorous AP curriculum. She said her motivation always came from within rather than pressure from anyone else.
“It’s just something that I’ve always been very driven by,” she said.
Although the workload could be intense, Rockefeller said the close-knit environment among AP, honors and gifted students helped make the experience rewarding. Rockefeller described her gifted classes as a family after spending four years with many of the same classmates and teachers.
“The last day of school in my gifted math class was kind of weird because we weren’t sure if we should cry or laugh,” she joked.
Rockefeller especially enjoyed AP English Language and AP English Literature because of her love for writing. Her English teachers also helped prepare her for the ACT beginning freshman year through frequent practice questions and review sessions.
Rockefeller balanced AP and honors classes with roles in Beta Club, National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Students. She began participating in Student Council her freshman year, and she later attended Louisiana Youth Seminar, a leadership camp that focused on communication, networking and leadership skills.
One of the most meaningful moments of Rockefeller’s senior year came during the school’s stole and awards night, when students received cords, scholarships and academic honors representing years of hard work. Rockefeller earned several recognitions, including the Women’s Club Scholarship, the Rotary Club Scholarship, academic awards and departmental honors.
“It was very impactful to finally see what all my high school years have come to,” Rockefeller said.
This fall, Rockefeller will attend LSU to study interior design, a field she said combines her creativity with her interest in creating welcoming spaces. Inspired by years of watching home renovation shows and seeing her family home remodeled over time, Rockefeller hopes to eventually design residential spaces that make people feel comfortable and happy.
“I really just want to make inviting spaces and make people happy to be where they are,” she said.
