Spotlight on Renee Bawcom – The “Mom” of the Senior Class

Renee Bawcom, Class of 2018, is an active dancer, cheerleader and actress. Bawcom juggles a tough school schedule, but still manages to participate in many different activities outside of school. Being a dancer since the sixth grade, she has fallen in love with the sport. While she usually sticks to dance, she decided to branch out and try cheerleading her junior year. Now, she loves cheerleading, because she enjoys the “team spirit and enthusiasm” that is brought to all of the games.

Bawcom is very well known for her participation in the musicals, as she has participated in several since she was in the fifth grade. In the spring, she is a “Dance Captain” for the Upper School Musical. Bawcom has had enormous amounts of experience through her training with dance, cheerleading, and being in/ helping out with the musicals.

Outside of school, Bawcom adores being outdoors. Her favorite things to do when she is not in school are sailing on the Chesapeake Bay and snowboarding and hiking in the mountains, which many students and faculty may not know about her.

When asked how her friends would describe her, she says,“They would describe me as mature, because I have always been more mature and capable of handling myself and making independent decisions. A lot of my friends also call me ‘Mom,” which I won senior superlative for.” Renee doesn’t always enjoy being called a “Mom,” but she does believe it is accurate representation of her.

Renee has had an extremely high amount of achievement throughout high school, as she is most proud of the Karl Tewes Award she received and being in the Cum Laude Society. She says, “They are both academic awards that represent the hard work and commitment that I have put into my academics.” No one in the Upper School doubts how hard Renee works, as she is constantly putting forth full effort to reach her goals.

Renee has also traveled to many places around the United States, including to the 4 Corners region where her dad grew up, San Francisco, Monterey, Yosemite, Boston, New York City, and most importantly, around Colorado. She loves to ski and snowboard, as the snow and mountains have been a huge part of her life. She loves to visit friends that she hasn’t seen in awhile, both living either near the beach or near the mountains.

When asked how she would describe herself, she said, “I would describe myself as independent; I don’t need to be told what to do in order to be successful all the time, and I also enjoy time on my own.” Renee tries to always be “an example in all areas because [she] thinks that if younger students can see others that are examples of what they can accomplish, then they can grasp a better understanding of the rewards of hard work and perseverance.”

Undoubtedly, Renee will forever be known at CHC for her dedication and involvement into all aspects of Cape Henry life.