Not only does Ramona High School senior Audie Ray Berry O’Neal know about juggling the various demands of academics, sports and community service — he has actual juggling skills, too.
The ability to balance multiple interests helped O’Neal, 18, become the school’s valedictorian with a 4.55 GPA.
His juggling skills were so popular, he said he carried around two to three sets of juggling balls, and “could teach folks in under 10 minutes.”
“I taught 47 people at school how to juggle,” said O’Neal.
His mother, Joanna O’Neal, taught him to juggle a couple of years ago, he said. Along with his younger brother, Orin, the family has been in Ramona their entire lives.
In addition to picking up juggling skills, O’Neal participated in sports for the first time after entering high school.
“Sports really helped me organize my time. Learning how to balance academics and sports together has helped me grow,” he said.
His talents as a three-sport athlete participating in wrestling, cross country and track helped earn O’Neal “Scholar Athlete Of the Year.”
He was also awarded the QuestBridge scholarship, which links high-achieving, low-income students with their college partners for full four-year scholarships. He plans to use the funding to attend Pomona College, where he wants to major in a prelaw track and pursue either environmental or corporate law.
O’Neal’s other scholarships included the Old Miner/Valedictorian Award, the Andrew Luke Memorial, the Karma and Abba McCalister Memorial and the Friends of the Ramona Library.
After he gets his law degree, O’Neal wants to pursue a government position in Congress, “where I can make change.”
O’Neal said his desire for change stems from his personal experiences.
“Growing up low income, I know how much social programs help,” he said. “Growing up in San Diego, I know there is a lot of homelessness. I would like to alleviate homelessness and hostile architecture, provide more affordable housing and provide more access to food.”
O’Neal’s skills at helping his fellow students have also earned him accolades from his high school counselors.
“Pomona College is so lucky to be getting him,” Ramona High counselor Ave Williams said. “Audie is an incredibly resilient and courageous person. He brings his A-plus game to everything he does and he will make his corner of the world a better place to be.”
O’Neal said some of his biggest personal accomplishments include being a founding member of the Ready to Learn peer counseling group, as well as being a member of Link Crew, which connects students to each other and helps them learn to be a part of campus culture.
“The Ready to Learn peer counselors are trained to help other students,” said Ramona High counselor Andres Martin. “Audie went through a rigorous interview and training process. He was nominated by multiple teachers because of his ability to connect with other students.”
Martin said O’Neal’s strengths and communication skills “will make him an even more powerful and influential attorney for his future clients, and even government.”
O’Neal said once he’s at college he hopes to work with an organization designed to help increase food accessibility to low income populations.
“Hopefully that will be my next big project,” he said.
If he had to choose a path other than law, he said would be interested in “risk analysis of business and banks using statistics. I really enjoy it, and it would be for the same purpose of making changes,” he said.
He plans to stay in California after college, with Los Angeles and Sacramento potential options.
