As the 2026 school year comes to an end, we recognize some exceptional seniors and their hard work, and Natalie Rodrigo is one of those seniors. She is hard-working and determined, which are essential skills that are needed to be part of the STEM academy. She has a lot of extracurricular activities and hobbies that she also enjoys, such as horseback riding, marching band and baking with her friends.
“I also picked up snowboarding because I thought it was cool,” said Rodrigo.
Keeping active with fun extracurricular activities is important to Rodrigo. Growing up, she learned how to ski from her mom who used to coach skiing, and then also started snowboarding with her dad. It’s something she enjoys doing with her family in the winter. She has been riding horses for seven years because she finds it a fun hobby and wants to continue riding in the future. Earlier this year she also got her motorcycle license after going through a course to get the license.
“Okay, I went to a lot of schools,” said Rodrigo.
Throughout her childhood Rodrigo has moved to several different states. Her Dad’s job has caused her to move often. She was born in Connecticut and then moved to Illinois for first and second grade. Then after second grade, she moved to North Carolina, where she attended various different private schools. Even tackling the struggles of moving around a lot, Rodrigo never fails to stand out.
“She’s very well behaved in class, but works well with others, working in groups, and participates,” said Heaven Tyndall, Rodrigo’s forensic science teacher.
Rodrigo is going to attend NC State next year and is planning on majoring in engineering. She has an interest in engineering and has always enjoyed taking things apart and putting them back together. She aspires to be on the equestrian team at NC State, since they are successful.
“I’m kind of nervous cause I know there’s gonna be a lot of people there,” said Rodrigo.
Rodrigo is planning on pursuing a career in radiology because she has always found studying x-rays interesting. She is excited and nervous to attend NC State next year due to how large the school is. She was drawn to NC State because she has always liked the school, and it is very popular.
“Natalie is reserved in school and then slightly crazy out of school,” said Thalia Phillips, one of Rodrigo’s friends.
Being a part of the Athens Drive band is another aspect of Athens Drive that Rodrigo has really enjoyed over the years. She has played clarinet throughout high school and has been the section leader for clarinet for the past three years. Being a section leader is an honor to her, as she has many responsibilities and helps many new people in the band.
“It’s just harder [to complete] schoolwork cause obviously your head’s hurting, and it’s hard to focus,” said Rodrigo.
Getting bucked off a horse earlier this year gave Rodrigo a concussion, which made doing things in school a lot more difficult. Horseback riding, however, has been something that she really enjoys. The incident also prevented her from doing marching band for her last year here at Athens. Despite all of these challenges, she was still able to complete and excel at her work, and finish the year on a high note.
“I’m gonna miss her hard work. I’m going to miss her dedication, and I’m gonna miss just seeing her walk through the door every day,” said Tyndall.
