By Sanaa House and Kamiya McNeil

Being a freshman in High School can be hard and frustrating: not knowing where you are going, having to make new friends, adjusting to a busier schedule. Our student of the week on the other hand, is an entirely different story.

Thomas Jones had no problem with either of these, acting as proof that high school is an experience that you only get once in your lifetime,  and he is having fun with it while he can. These are just a few of the reasons Jones was chosen as the first “Student of the Week” for the 2023-2024 school year. 

Thomas Jones is a Freshman at Cape Fear High School. He is a proud member of the Cape Fear Marching band; playing bass drum with a group called the front ensemble, a group of fantastic students who stand at the front of the field with instruments called marimbas. 

“Being a colt feels awesome , seeing this many people here is crazy,” said Thomas. 

Being the Student of the Week isn’t just about the title, it’s about the heart, thought, and passion that counts. Most students in Cape Fear aren’t as overjoyed to be back in school, let alone go from middle school to high school. Thomas Jones is the exact opposite.

Jones enjoys listening to Christian Contemporary Music, his favorite christian song is Holy Water by We the Kingdom, and places his faith above everything, with academics coming in a close 2nd. He goes to EpiCenter Church and is heavily involved in his church youth group. He encourages others to live and love like Jesus in everything that he does. 

His favorite subject in school is math class. He really enjoys math 2 with Mrs. Seagroves. He has always been ahead of his class in school, so much so that he skipped the 5th grade. He thinks that the importance of high school is to be smart which makes sense being a freshman. 

Thomas has always loved sports, he started playing tee ball when he was 4, following in his brother’s footsteps. He is debating playing again in his later years of high school. His favorite team to watch is the Los Angeles Angels.  His favorite player on the team is Shohei Ohtani, a designated hitter for the Angels. 

Most of Jones classmates and friends will tell you he is a great person to be

around and to have as a Marching Colt. With his enthusiasm, he gains smiling faces and great affirmations from the people around him. Thomas also enjoys spending time with his family and friends. 

“He’s nice, he’s a very good friend; most of our parts are together; we have to follow each other, and look at each other and make sure we are doing the same thing. He’s fun and very goofy, but in a good way,” said friend and bandmate Eli Magness. 

His mother, Mrs. Jones works at Cape Fear as a math teacher, she supports him in everything he does, from his day to day school life, adjusting to high school as a freshman, and his work as a marching colt. 

Other than the Marching Band, Tommy has plans to join the Chess Club which is an underrated club at Cape Fear, just like any school activity, you need knowledge and hard work for this club. 

“I’m excited because it’s a new journey for him, and he will get exposure to a lot of things that he may not have at other schools, but I’m also nervous because he’s a freshman. He was in home school before, so public school is a big change, having a locker, changing classes, maybe not knowing some people in his class,” said Mrs. Jones 

Thomas is a shining example of a Cape Fear Freshman student, and a Marching Colt, because of his bright personality and kind spirit, he is a 2023-2024 student of the week.