Senior Kathryn Chunn’s Darlington career began her freshman year after her decision between boarding schools from around the world.  

“I decided I wanted to go to boarding school. I looked up places in Sweden, Switzerland, England, Canada, but the thing all those places have in common is that it’s cold. And if anyone knows me they know I hate the cold,” senior Kathryn Chunn said. “So Rome, Georgia, seemed like a really good option. It was close, all my friends were in Georgia and only an hour away [Acworth], I have family close.”

Chunn’s country background didn’t make her transition any smoother.

“The transition was rough. I came from a really southern background like redneck country, ‘if you don’t wear boots you’re not associated with society’ kind of deal, everyone had an accent, and I fit in there I rode horses and everything,” Chunn said, “When I came to Darlington and walked in with my southern accent and my boots I was like ‘woah’. I was transitioning into a bigger world than I was used to.”

Chunn is actively involved in the sciences.

“I was in the greenhouse club when I was a freshman I helped start up that stuff. I’m in the science club and I’m in WAC [Wildlife Appreciation Club]. I’m involved in robotics as of recently and I wish I had gotten involved in sooner,” Chunn said. “I am the President of the technology team, so I do a lot with technology, love technology, and am going to college for engineering.”

Chunn has spent her whole four years boarding in the underclassmen dorm Cooper and has thoroughly enjoyed it.

“I wouldn’t wish it any other way. I’m the president of the Big Little Sister Society, so I arrange functions for the dorm students. I’ve learned a lot from managing business skills like learning how to market an event,” Chunn said.

One of Chunn’s favorite parts of high school was her time spent in theatre.

“Most people know me as that girl who played a plant, a hand, and a dead body. I really love theatre and I love being a character actress. It feels like everyone is on the same level, no one is judging you, everyone is out there being free and living their best selves and having fun,” Chunn said.

Looking back on her time, Chunn’s favorite memory came from theatre.

“One of my favorite memories from two years ago was the fire alarm. It was the Saturday show, and my whole family was there and the fire alarm went off in the middle of the second or third song,” Chunn said. “When the alarm went off, we just thought it was new special effects and then we looked around and we saw people standing up. Finally, Mrs. Tunnell came up on stage and was like ‘hey, you need to evacuate’. So we went outside barefooted, in tropical wear and it was raining. We really bonded over the fire alarm. It’s something a lot of us in theatre still mention that a lot of people now can’t relate to. It was such a tragedy but we made it into something beautiful.”

As Chunn moves on to Mercer University, she will miss the opportunities the school gave her.

“The people I’m leaving behind, the programs I’m leaving behind like theatre, some of the teachers. I’ll just miss it in general,” Chunn said.