Covington looks toward a life in law
♦ The Coosa senior plans a future as a prosecutor, inspired by a love of problem solving and fascination with true crime.
Coosa High School senior Amya Covington has always had a strong love for science, she said, becoming excited in the pursuit of answers for all she is curious about, absorbing information from books and internet research.
But — by growing up watching true crime shows with her mother and reading about the pursuit of serial killers — she also has an affinity for the work of police detectives and criminal profilers, because like some scientists, they are working from what is observed to reach a point of greater understanding.
Initially, it was these hunters of master criminals and sadistic killers that she aspired to be. But then there was that one thing holding her back, she does not like guns.
So, for now, she has settled on doing less of the hunting and more on the putting them behind bars side of the criminal justice system — Covington wants to be a prosecutor.
In the fall, Covington will attend the University of Georgia, where her tuition will be covered by HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships. She plans to study on a pre-law track, which affords her some freedom in choosing a major, before heading off to law school in four years, she said. But if her plans change, she would like to get into the marine biology concentration.
The greater independence Covington will find at UGA is frankly a little frightening, she said. And being away from her friends and family for months at a time is a change she has not experienced before. However, she then remembers the reason why she chose to go to Athens, a place which allows her to get away from her hometown while remaining within a several-hour drive.
Covington came into the county school system in fourth grade and has been at Coosa for all four years of high school, which she has completed with a 4.0 GPA. The last year has been one of her toughest yet because she backloaded her honors and AP classes, she said. Though science is natural for her, she has to commit to her studies more in other subjects to earn her place at the top of her class, she said.
But all that considered, she still managed to pull out a gold medal victory in the state academic decathlon science competition this year.
“It felt really good beating everyone else,” said Covington, who is selfdescribed as extremely competitive.
Graduation, albeit somewhat sad, will be a relief, but it will also be her chance to show everyone all she has worked for. To make it through the remaining days before she graduates next weekend, she has a little light reading in store — “The Silence of the Lambs.”