Brady Rickenbaugh

For fourth generation Spartan Brady Rickenbaugh, Class of 2025, picking Roger Bacon was always part of his plan. “Honestly, I never had much doubt about where I wanted to go to high school,” shares Brady.” My Dad went here. My Grandpa and great-Grandpa went here. I had a Roger Bacon lunch box in kindergarten. I told my teacher, Mrs. Woodall, who was also a Roger Bacon graduate, that I was going to go to Roger Bacon, and then go to college at North Carolina. I told my grade school Principal, who was an RB grad, I just always knew. I didn’t even shadow anywhere else. Even before my sister (Ellie, ’22) got here and had a great experience, I knew it was the place for me.”

Now, as he prepares for his last quarter of high school, Brady has loved every minute of his time at Roger Bacon. Brady is an Assisi Scholar, a member of the National Honor Society, captain of the Mock Trial team, played volleyball his sophomore and junior year, and had a role in the Drama Guild’s production of Pride and Prejudice last fall. “I love that Roger Bacon is a place where you can try so many different things, from sports to art to clubs. There really is something for everyone, and there are no obstacles to taking advantage of all of the opportunities here,” says Brady. He also has loved the experience of being here with his siblings. “I love being in a co-ed school. I love that I could experience Roger Bacon while my sister, Ellie, was here, and I love being here with my brother, Jake. Roger Bacon is truly a family, and the co-ed environment means families can experience it together,” explains Brady.

Some of Brady’s favorite highlights are earning “Best Attorney” at his freshman Mock Trial competition, achieving a rare “perfect score” and then once again earning that honor at his senior competition this past January. Explains Brady, “My goal is to be an attorney. I love preparing for trial, and then being in the courtroom, arguing my case. I love to compete, and that, by far, is my favorite place to do so.” Brady also really enjoyed his role as George Wickham in Pride and Prejudice. “The Drama Guild is such a talented, special group of people, and the play was such a fun experience. It was one of the best things I have done so far,” exclaims Brady. “In fact, being in the play was very beneficial when preparing for Mock Trial, and the ‘theater’ of the courtroom.

Another highlight for Brady took place last fall, when he built and implemented a pilot program to prepare students for the High School Placement Test (HSPT). “The idea started when I found out there were more than 500 students last year at Catholic elementary schools that did not get accepted into a Catholic high school. That led to researching historical HSPT scores for prospective students, and comparing against acceptance rates. I then looked at the question types to see if they could be taught in a different way. It seemed clear that small changes could spark big improvements, and hopefully increase acceptance rates,” explains Brady. Along with a few of his fellow Assisi Scholars, they piloted a six-week course last fall for St. Clement students, that ended up being very successful. “The students showed a 17-point increase from pre-test assessment to actual test results,” shares Brady. “More importantly, all of the students were accepted to the high school of their choice, which was the goal of the program.”

When it came time to prepare for college applications, highlighting this altruistic program became a centerpiece of Brady’s strategy. Brady applied to 10 different universities, and managed to earn more then $1 million in scholarships. While all of the acceptances and offers were appreciated, there was always one school that stood above the others, a dream school that went back to childhood. “The best day of my life was several weeks ago, when I was accepted at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, especially as an out-of-state student, which is really difficult to do. My dream, since I was a little kid was to go there, and I am so proud to say I am a Tar Heel,” says Brady.

With an out-of-state acceptance rate of less than 8%, and more than 75,000 applicants for first year admissions (including over 44,000 out-of-state) Brady’s acceptance to UNC was quite the accomplishment. On top of this, he was one of an even smaller group of students, around 80 from outside the state of North Carolina, invited to Honors Carolina, the UNC Honors program. “I am so blessed to be accepted to UNC, and so honored to be part of Honors Carolina. It is an awesome program that provides rigorous academics, academic and professional mentorships, and tremendous networking opportunities. It is a program that will no doubt set me up for great success. I am already hearing from UNC graduates that are in the field I am pursuing, congratulating me, and offering their guidance," shares Brady.

With his college choice behind him, Brady is focused on enjoying the rest of senior year. “I am looking forward to the pilgrimage to Assisi with my fellow Assisi Scholars later this month. I can’t wait to see the spring musical, Xanadu, which is going to be awesome,” states Brady. “I am also really looking forward to Prom, and spending a lot of time with my friends before graduation.”

Since receiving the news of his UNC acceptance, Brady has had many of his friends at other high schools reach out. Many of them also applied to UNC, yet were denied admission, and were curious to ask “how he did it.” Attributing much to his high school, Brady had a quick response for them. “My friends reached out to congratulate me, and began quizzing me a little on how I got in. They all talked about ACT scores, and AP credits. Which seems to miss the point in my opinion. All of the kids applying to elite universities have good grades and test scores, and I do too. But it comes down to how you set yourself apart,“ explains Brady. “Attending Roger Bacon is an opportunity to be different than everyone else. The Assisi Scholar program doesn’t just create an honors student. The leadership and service aspects shape us into people that are committed to helping others. It shows us how to take action, and be of service, and help those around us. What can I say, a Roger Bacon graduate is just unique. The easiest way I could put for my friends was, ‘Maybe its because you are all just a bunch of apples, and Roger Bacon made me an orange.’”