Skylar Herrle is considered a student legend here at Cape Henry, as she has walked the halls for a total of 13 years. She first stepped into a Cape Henry classroom as a student in Ms. Buchardt and Mrs. Bouch’s transition class. Ever since then, she has been respected and loved by so many within the community and has developed relationships with many people around her. Some of her fondest memories at Cape Henry are from her early days on campus with her friends. Skylar loves to reflect back on one memory in particular. “I remember getting so excited for my first field day and getting to play with the older students. It was a great time for all of us to have fun and bond. Go purple starfish!”

From the time that she began making memories at CHC, she was surrounded by supportive people who absorbed all of the good memories with her. Skylar had always been great at making friends and embracing people around her, which continues to be one of her strongest and best qualities as an individual today. At Cape Henry, Skylar has formed bonds in and out of the classroom as well as on the volleyball court.

Volleyball has always been a staple within Skylar’s life, which has helped build her up into the person that she is. At a young age, Skylar found her passion and a great deal of confidence through her sport. She played throughout her high school years for Cape Henry and also devoted some time to an elite club volleyball team. For Cape Henry, Skylar stood out on both the JV and Varsity squads and has led by example each time she has stepped on the court. Even in times of absence, she was still viewed as a leader and a key asset to the team. Skylar never presented any form of superiority over her younger teammates and always equally supported all of her teammates when they needed her. By doing so, she helped the team grow as a unit and become a true powerhouse of a team throughout the years. Skylar never was solely focused on the end results of each game; rather, she focused on everything in between. The growth and the experiences meant so much more to Skylar than the results, which made her a strong leader on the team each year.

Through Volleyball, Skylar has formed an unbreakable bond with her varsity coach, Coach Monica Scott. “Coach Monica was my first club coach, and she took a chance on me and helped me to be able to actually play volleyball. She helped my reading skills on the court and fine-tuned the others. Overall, she was super supportive and always had my back,” Skylar shared. Coach Monica is someone whom she will miss dearly, but Skylar believes they have a connection that goes far beyond the court and will undoubtedly remain connected throughout her next journey in life.

In addition to the Cape Henry volleyball program, there is more that Skylar claims is tough to leave behind. Skylar will specifically miss being around her friends every day and sharing a classroom with her favorite teachers. “Being here since childhood, and growing up here really will make me miss the people that I’ve been around all along,” she says. As far as her academic career on campus, Skylar made a point to specifically shout out the entire science department claiming: “Our science department is so great, and all of the teachers that I have had within that department have been so passionate toward their jobs.” Skylar has always had an undying love for all things science. From the very beginning at Cape Henry, she remembers it being her favorite subject, and nothing has changed since then. Skylar learned to appreciate science through the many rigorous courses that she has taken, and also used it as an escape when overwhelmed with work in other difficult classes like AP AB Calculus.

With the passion that she has for science, Skylar has chosen to continue her education at James Madison University as a Biology Major on a Pre-Veterinary track. Her choice to pursue science at the collegiate level was driven by her undying love for the subject, but also by those who have helped her fall in love with science along the way. Although she has been inspired and positively influenced by everyone within the CHC science department, she has a special connection with one teacher in particular.

Skylar wanted to specifically give thanks to Mrs.Whitney. “Mrs.Whitney was such a great middle school advisor, and she always pushed me to do and be my best.” Mrs. Whitney had a pivotal role in developing Skylar’s appreciation for science at Cape Henry, and Skylar is most definitely grateful for that. Mrs.Whitney has reciprocating love and appreciation for Skylar as a student and as a person, as she offered many kind words about her. “Skylar has a heart of gold!  She was one of those students that makes you want to stay in the classroom. She always had such positive energy.  She was curious and hard-working but at the same time modest and humble. She always wanted to do her best and she would do it for two reasons: one, to earn the grade and two, to demonstrate respect for the teacher and the time that went into planning the lesson. During our Middle School Advisory activities, she always made sure that everyone in the group was included and felt like they belonged. She always put the needs of others ahead of her own needs. I see Skylar as a complete representation of our four Core Values here at Cape Henry.”

During her junior year, Skylar began her search for the perfect school after Cape Henry. However, it really was never a big search for her. Skylar knew that she always belonged at JMU. Since the very first time she stepped on the JMU campus, she knew that she was meant to be there. “I just love the community and everything about it. I get a happy and homey vibe each time I am on campus, and experiencing life at JMU through certain visits helped me realize it was perfect.” Of course, though, she kept her mind and options open and allowed for any other university to try and top JMU. Deep down, she knew that could never be done. Skylar considered Virginia Tech and NC State as options, but she knew right away that they were not the full package that she was looking for. After visiting the campuses of all of the universities on her list, she was really just waiting patiently for an acceptance letter into the school of her dreams. When that day came, all of her hard work and dedication had paid off for what she had wished for most, and Skylar was officially a JMU Duke!

Prior to departing for JMU, Skylar wanted to offer some advice for younger students to follow. “Take advantage completely of extra credit,” she says. “Appreciate what your teachers give to you and use everything to your advantage. Most importantly, work hard always.”

Although Cape Henry is sad to see such an invested student leave campus, we are all so incredibly proud and excited to watch Skylar take on her next experience in life. We know that she will take advantage of every opportunity that she can at JMU, and that she will only set herself up for success. During her time at JMU, we all look forward to following her successes and watching her achieve her long-time dream of becoming a veterinarian.