Ashley High School Alum earns engineering award from Stanford

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) –A former Eugene Ashley High School student is receiving national recognition for her work in engineering.

Tanis Priddle, now a senior at Stanford University, has been named one of the top 30 senior engineering students in the country. She was selected as a recipient of the Frederick Emmons Terman Award — an honor given annually by Stanford’s School of Engineering.

Priddle is majoring in Aeronautics and Astronautics and focuses her studies on developing algorithms that help robots operate independently.

Her love for math began well before college.

“My dad sat me down at, like, dinner and would talk about how pi was developed and things like that.”

By the time she entered high school at Ashley, Priddle was already ahead of the curve — taking Calculus AB/BC as a sophomore in a class filled with juniors and seniors.

She says one teacher in particular helped her stay grounded and challenged.

“Yes, she really did love math, and she was always kind, always liberal with her praise in the classroom. She wanted you to think about why things are the way they are and not just take it for what it is. And that’s something I’ve been able to apply beyond mathematics as well — in my career here especially — and I can’t thank her enough for that.”

That teacher is Pam Highsmith, who taught math at Ashley High for 29 years before retiring.

“Right away, it was easy to see how Tanis was brilliant. She was humble, she was quiet, but you could see that she already knew the answers. But she would be quiet because she was in the class — juniors and seniors…”

Outside the classroom, Priddle stayed involved — balancing her coursework with orchestra and cheerleading. That energy has carried over into her college years.

“Her math is application; what can I do with it? How can I make this place better? What can I learn that is going to make this a better place…”

Highsmith says the connection between them came naturally — rooted in a mutual love for the subject.

“Like, her brilliance — I don’t think I had any part in. She could’ve learned from anyone. She was so smart, and she had a drive. But I feel like we just had a relationship because she saw how much I loved math too.”

Now, Priddle says this award has given her the opportunity to reflect on her journey.

“It’s nice to have a moment where I can pause and reflect on how far I’ve come, especially from what was once a small town like Wilmington. It’s not just my win — it’s also for everyone who helped me get here.”

The Terman Award ceremony will take place on April 26th at Stanford University. Both Priddle and Mrs. Highsmith will be in attendance.