Salem, Virginia – Standout athletes in Salem are the norm, rather than the exception, and senior lacrosse star Brayden Allen Hall is certainly one of them. The Spartans are once again state contenders, and Brayden is a key piece of that championship puzzle.
“We’re extremely motivated. Last year, we were 17-0 up until the last game. We played the state quarterfinals, and we lost that by one in the last 28 seconds, so having that in the back of our minds, just continuously feeling motivated to keep going and not end that way this year. Just the will to continuously get better and being in a team setting to lead teammates and just working hard constantly to keep that Salem standard and stay up top,” Hall said.
Where Hall departs from the norm is in his desire to help those less fortunate than himself. He’s logged a staggering 700 hours of community service during his high school career. That is anything but normal.
He has an unwavering commitment to helping those who may be less fortunate than himself. He recognizes that we are all fundamentally the same and strives to help others in reaching what they hope to achieve in life. He is adamant about empowering others to achieve their dreams.
“Honestly, it’s refreshing because that’s rare in today’s world. You know, we try to incorporate it, we try to create the mindset with a lot of students, but it’s not an easy thing to do. It’s not easy to step outside your comfort zone. It’s not easy to be alongside your peers who may not be able to do that as well as you are, but he has that unique ability to reach students and children of all abilities and of all ages,” Salem Physical Education and Health Chair Grant Smythers explained.
Hall will be continuing his athletic and educational careers at Emory and Henry, and he’ll no doubt continue giving back. It is, after all, ‘The Salem Way.’
“Every day in every classroom, we wanna have a community-minded and civic-minded focus in our lessons and how they’re gonna be when they graduate from Salem High School. What are they gonna give back to the community? What are they gonna give back to the world? That’s what we want. That’s what we’re here for,“ Salem Principal Kelly Linkenhoker said.
Hall will be studying Education at Emory and Henry. He has an interest in both history and physical education. He’ll do so receiving a $2,000 scholarship from WSLS. The award is sponsored by Joyce and Bary Law.
In the meantime, the Salem Lacrosse team steams toward the playoffs as one of the top-ranked VHSL Class 4 teams in the state.
Franklin County’s Nicholas Ryan Guilliams is the winner of a $1,000 scholarship award from WSLS and Joyce and Bary Law. Guilliams is a cross-country, indoor and outdoor track standout serving as team captain for all of those teams for the past two seasons. The Eagles senior is the student representative on the Franklin County school board and is heavily invested in his community. He’s an academic powerhouse as well, sporting a 4.388 GPA. He will be attending Liberty University in the fall.