Phillips, Fudge appreciate community

Although Sarah Phillips, Wahkiakum High School valedictorian, and salutatorian Brandon Fudge share a deep affection for their classmates, their history with the school is different. Phillips came to Cathlamet and entered the school district as a freshman, while Fudge has been here from the beginning. Each has good things to say about being in a small school in a small community.

“You have to work at it. But you can have 150 close friends,” Phillips said.

“I can’t imagine a better place to raise kids,” Fudge said.

The two agreed that it was important to find something to do associated with school, since there’s not so much to do around the area. For Phillips it was drama and cheerleading and for Fudge, sports.

Both are looking forward to college roommates and finding out what living away from home will be like. Phillips will room with Jory McEntire, and Fudge hasn’t met his three future dorm-mates yet.

Sarah Phillips came to Wahkiakum High School four years ago when her family came from North Dakota. She will attend Washington State University in Pullman and plans to be a kindergarten teacher.

One of the things that Phillips learned in the past year is how to be more comfortable speaking in front of others. Her senior project was focused on her leadership as student body president in both junior and high school classes.

“I’m a perfectionist,” Phillips said. “I would stress out over every little thing.” But over the last year, Phillips said she’s learned to “go with the flow.”

Phillips said she’s looking forward to the independence in college to do what she wants. She’s staying in an old-fashioned dorm that looks like a castle.

Brandon Fudge was born in Longview and has been in Wahkiakum County since preschool. Although Fudge says he loves Cathlamet, he’s looking forward to living in a city. He’s going to Boise State University to major in journalism.

Fudge said that although he loves sports, in the sixth or seventh grade, he realized he would be unable to become a professional athlete, and decided that being a sports broadcaster would keep him close to sports.

“When Dave Nieuhaus (known as the voice of the Seattle Mariners) died, I felt like I had a relationship with him. It would be cool to be like that,” he said.

Fudge’s senior project involved building wood duck boxes for environmental science. He built nesting boxes near slow-moving or stagnant water along Brooks Slough on the Julia Butler Hansen refuge.

Despite their high academic standing, both had enjoyable times in high school. Phillips remembered cheering at games when it was “just pouring. We chose cheers with a lot of stomping.” Fudge laughed as he explained the fun he had at football and basketball camps.