As a person of many talents, Bailey Roach has made an impact in quite a few lives over the last several years. She’s a junior advanced placement student who makes herself a part of her growing location.
“I’m a part of BPA (Business Professionals of America) because I love helping people,” Roach said. “And in BPA, we do many things for the good of the community.”
As a member of BPA, she helps her school raise donations and assist the community. She also volunteers for the Special Olympics and sells concessions at school carnivals.
Roach is a member of the school newspaper at Locust Grove High School. She does a little of everything for the publication, from editing to photography — and anything in between. She’s been on the staff for two years, and is going into her third.
Roach said her academic strengths lie in English and Mathematics. She said she is kind-hearted, but added she is “easily hurt” and has learned to roll with the punches.
“I consider caring too much my biggest weakness because people take advantage of me often. That’s why I stick to myself,” Roach said.
Roach raised her two younger sisters on her own for a few years. She had to mature quickly in order to take command as the primary caretaker of her family. With her parents coming and going at odd times, she was the main provider of basic needs for her siblings and grandfather.
Roach also has another family experience that is not as common among girls her age.
In October 2013, her boyfriend proposed to her after they fell head over heels in love. She accepted the engagement, and married in the summer of 2014. After a year of marriage, they divorced on June 1, 2015, and went their separate ways.
“He had been my whole life. Then, it was gone,” Roach said. “Then I realized I have so many opportunities. I can follow my dreams and be who I want to be. It’s been about two months, and I’m the best me I’ve ever been. I’m happy.”
She enjoys spending her free time surfing the Internet or reading books, especially William Shakespeare’s work, with “The Tragedy of Macbeth” being one of her favorites. Roach is an artist and likes to draw. She also is working on her calligraphy, and is proud to have made good progress in the visual art.
She is passionate about writing, and has written poems and short stories, as well as attempted a novel idea. She has received several awards for her work, including scoring a first, second and third place finish on feature stories, and taking second place for a feature photo she took. Roach said she loves to report on interesting topics and would like to travel the world.
Her dream job is to become a reporter, and she hopes to major in journalism at college. Roach also has an interest in archeology, and lists archaeologist as her second career choice. Her third option would be a preschool or high school teacher. And if nothing else works out, she would like to delve into cosmetology.
