Accolades
Academics
Caldwell Community College Honors List 2023 and 2024
National Latin Exam Intro magna cum laude 2020
National Latin Exam Begining Latin magna cum laude 2022
National Latin Exam Intermediate Latin magna cum laude 2023
Athletics
Sugar Mountain Alpine Ski Racing Team 2021-2025
Tailwinds Cross Country 2021 and 2022
Watauga High School Varsity Cross Country 2023
Watauga High School Varsity Lacrosse 2024
Watauga High School Varsity Football 2024
Watauga High School Lacrosse Most Agile Player Award 2024
Watauga High School Varsity Lacrosse Team Captain 2024
High Country Junior Race Series Fastest on the Mountain Appalachian Ski Mountain, Sugar Mountain, & Beech Mountain and Overall Season Individual 17 & 18 Male First Place 2024
High Country Junior Race Series Overall Season Individual 15 & 16 Male Third Place 2023
High Country Junior Race Series Overall Season Individual 15 & 16 Male Second Place 2022
High Country Junior Race Series Overall Season Individual 13 & 14 Male Second Place 2021
App Cup Ski Race Series Overall High School Male Winner 2022
USSA SARA race placings
Volunteer & Service
St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Altar Server and Faith Formation 2018-2024
Charlotte Folk Society Board Junior member 2020-2022
iCamp (special needs summer camp) counselor 2021
Back Our Blue 2022-2023
Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child 2021-2023
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games 2021-2024
High Country Fling Scottish Highland Dance Competition 2022-2023
Hart Square Heritage Festival 2021-2023
Horn in the West Outdoor Drama 2021
Watauga Humane Society Headwaters Mobile Veterinary Vaccine Clinic 2021-2023
Music Performances
Pickin’ Thistles has performed at numerous festivals and recorded broadcasts, including Merlefest, International Bluegrass Music Association World of Bluegrass, Appaloosa Festival, Boonerang Festival, Appalachian Theatre, Carolina Theatre, Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, Woodsong Kids, Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music, Charlotte Folk Society, private events, and many more. They have also won awards at numerous bluegrass competitions throughout the Southeast. Pickin’ Thistles also donates their time to performing at nonprofit events, including an upcoming collaborative concert, Music for the Mountains, with other musicians from the mountains of North Carolina to raise money for Hurricane Helene relief efforts in western North Carolina.
Awards & Accomplishments
Charlotte Folk Society Marilyn Meacham Price Scholarship 2019
Tosco Music Youth Scholarship 2020
Mark O’Connor Strings Camp Scholarship 2018
Fiddlers Grove Junior Mandolin 2nd place May 2019
Ashe County Fiddlers Convention Junior Mandolin 2nd place July 2019
Wayne Henderson Scholarship 2021
Merlefest Acoustic Kids Ambassador 2022, 2023, 2024
Merlefest Acoustic Kids 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Wernick Bluegrass Scholarship 2022
Ashe County Fiddlers Convention Youth Mandolin 1st, Youth Guitar 2nd, Youth Band 3rd 2022
Crooked Road Next Generation Youth Music Festival & Competition guitar 3rd place & mandolin 3rd place
Ed Neigh Scholarship North American Academy Piping and Drumming 2021
Richard D. Fain Scholarship North American Academy Piping and Drumming 2022
Fund the Royal Caribbean International Scholarship North American Academy Piping and Drumming 2023
IBMA Kids on Bluegrass 2023 and 2024
Merlefest 2022
Clan Scott Society Scholarship 2023
Charleston Scottish Games Grade 5 Snare Drummer of the Day 2023
Charleston Scottish Games Grade 5 Snare Drummer 1st place
Eastern United State Pipe Band Association Grade 5 Pipe Band 1st place 2023 Grandfather Mountain Harvey E Ritch Memorial Pipe Band at Charleston Scottish Games
Stone Mountain Highland Games Grade 5 Snare Drummer 2nd place 2023
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games Grade 5 Snare Drummer 2nd place 2023
Eastern United State Pipe Band Association Grade 5 Pipe Band 1st place 2022 Grandfather Mountain Harvey E Ritch Memorial Pipe Band at Stone Mountain Highland Games
Blue Ridge Conservancy 5k 1st place Age 15-18 2022, 2024
Charlotte Folk Society Youth Showcase 2019, 2020, 2021
Woodsong Kids Performer 2024
Employment
Black Tie Ski Rental & Delivery November 2022 - present
Junior Appalachian Musicians Assistant Teacher September 2023 - present
Bobby Plemmons Plumbing May - August 2024
Humphries Construction Co. May 2024 - present
Dustin McGlamery Fencing & Construction May 2023 - August 2023
Grace Academy Cross Country Team Assistant Coach August 2022 to November 2023
Media
https://bluegrasstoday.com/winners-from-ashe-county-fiddlers-convention/
https://highcountrysports.net/watauga-all-but-dominates-northwestern-pre-conference-xc-meet/
https://toscomusic.org/news/swannanoa-bound-2020
https://toscomusic.org/news/swannanoa-bound-2019
https://wataugaonline.com/boone-jam-local-youth-musicians-awarded-wayne-c-henderson-scholarship/
https://hcjrs.org/race-results/
https://merlefest.org/lineup/past-lineups/
https://ashechamber.com/event.php?id=2986
https://580wksk.com/mountain-home-musics-30th-anniversary-kick-off-season-jan-19-and-20/
https://www.countrystandardtime.com/news/newsitem.asp?xid=12214
https://www.yesweekly.com/music/merlefest-announces-lineup-additions-including-josh-turner-the-wood-brothers-durand-jones-the-indications-and/article_7f70b7d2-8eb3-11ec-b7eb-936d5ba87ef7.html
https://bluegrasstoday.com/2024-ibma-kids-on-bluegrass-program-goes-out-with-a-bang/