The Lititz Rotary Club recognized Payton Gooding as Student of the Month at their regular meeting on January 23, 2024, held at the Lititz Springs Inn & Spa. Payton is a Warwick High School senior and the daughter of Michelle and Reed Gooding.
Payton is an academic achiever and has demonstrated academic excellence during her time in the Warwick School District. She has earned recognition on the Distinguished Honor Roll each year. Payton’s strong academic efforts have earned her membership in the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Computer Science Honor Society, and the English Honor Society. She also earned first place in the Pennsylvania Media and Art Competition for a digital movie project.
Also at Warwick, Payton has demonstrated strong leadership as President of her class since her freshman year and most recently served as Captain of the Warwick girls soccer team. Payton also had the privilege of being a Teacher's Assistant (TA) for Mrs. Rakiewicz, a broadcasting and English teacher at the high school. Payton expresses great admiration for Mrs. Rakiewicz and is grateful for the lessons learned in broadcasting classes. She is also looking forward to serving as a TA for Mr. Neuman who has influenced Payton to excel in more challenging classes.
Payton is an active volunteer and served as a camp counselor for youth soccer camp during the past two summers. The week-long camp, organized by Warwick, brought together aspiring girl athletes to train with the girls' high school soccer team for two hours each day from Monday to Thursday. She also participated in a Special Olympics Game Day and volunteered at the rubber duckie race for the Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development. During the holidays, Payton helped wrap gifts for families in need. She also volunteers with multiple adopt a highway events.
Over the past three years, Payton gained gained valuable work experience at Philly Pretzel Factory, where she assists customers and developed skills in handle food preparation.
In the future, Payton expects to attend Savannah College of Art and Design and major in film and television. She has a strong interest in the creative realm of the film industry, and aspires to become a movie director or editor and pursue her passion for storytelling and visual arts.