Amanda Vignes
By Joan Frances –
Lamar Consolidated Independent School District sets the bar high for students to graduate with the highest standard of education. With highly qualified teachers, Lamar Consolidated High School takes pride in assuring students learn from a well-rounded curriculum. One senior who has achieved an impressive resume is Amanda Vignes.
Amanda has taken Advanced Placement (AP) classes all of her high school career. Her forte is theater, and she has devoted her four years of high school to perfecting the craft. As an actress, Amanda has participated in play production and set design at school. She was engaged in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) One Act Play and was awarded Best Actress at the district competition last year, as well as Best Actress for her performance at Mustang Playhouse. She was also given Honorable Mention All Star Cast at the One Act Play competition and was a national qualifier at the International Thespian Society competition last summer. Amanda was vice president of the thespians and a High School Leadership participant.
When asked what being a leader means to her, Amanda said, “To me, it means being able to make a difference in my fellow artists’ lives, and that is priceless. To take part in another person’s artistic process is incredibly humbling. When you are engaged in a process like that, you become part of that person. As I have watched underclassmen grow over the past two years, they have claimed a special place in my heart. They’ve become some of my best friends, and they trust me and come to me for advice both on stage and off. The fact that they trust me enough to make me a part of their lives both professionally and personally means the world to me. Human connection is one of the things that mean the most to me, so being a leader at Mustang Playhouse and the thespians is absolutely priceless.”
One value that Amanda lives by is humility. “Growing up, my parents always taught me to appreciate everything that has been given to me, so as I have gone on this rollercoaster called high school, I have always kept that in mind. I am blessed to have amazing people by my side who have guided me through this journey, and I hope to always have people like them in my life. They have been absolutely amazing to me, and I never want to take that for granted.
“I have had two major influences in my life, Mr. Thomas Oliver and Ms. Julie McCain. Both of these teachers believe in me and who I am as a student and person. Without them, I would not be the person I am today. I had Mr. Oliver, my Social Studies teacher, at the beginning of my high school career, and he shaped me into a student who wants to learn, who is tolerant and has a deeper understanding for people besides what they simply appear to be. Ms. McCain taught me during my junior year in her English III AP class, and I learned how to be confident in who I am and in my academic accolades. These two are the dynamic duo. If you take one course, you have to take the other. They are two of my absolute favorite people, and I plan to stay in contact with them as long as possible.”
In the fall, Amanda will attending Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. She will major in acting but also will work in design. Congratulations on your talent and insightful qualities Amanda, and good luck as you fulfill your dreams.