Thomasville alumni returns to coach Red Hots
May 21—THOMASVILLE — Thomasville is welcoming back an old face to takeover the competitive dance Red Hots program after coach Allison Bunderick's retirement.
Lauren Routt is a 2016 graduate of Thomasville High School Scholars Academy and was on the ground floor of the Red Hots team. She was one of its first members under Bunderick and It's where she discovered her passion for dance and teaching.
Routt attended UNC Greensboro where she received a degree in both dance and education before returning to Thomasville. Once back in her home town, Routt began teaching at Washington Middle School where she also built the schools dance program. Meanwhile, she was always in contact with her old dance teacher and mentor, Bunderick.
"About a year ago she approached me and asking me, 'Lauren, I really want to retire," Routt said. "How would you feel about teaching at your old alumni school?,' and I was like, 'It would mean the world to me'."
a full-circle moment, taking over a program that she helped build as a dancer along with her mentor who sparked her passion.
"It's kind of like a full circle," said Routt. "This is where my passion began was in that little dance classroom with Ms. Allison and now I'm honored to take over the program at Scholars Academy/Thomasville High School."
Routt said that she hopes the girls in the Red Hots program will see the hard work in her story and understand how far the Red Hots can take them.
"I think it'll show that hard work does pay off. That, no matter what, you're always a Red Hot. That no matter where you go in life that the memories and the things you learn even in your small high school dance class, that you use it later in life," Routt said. "We're always families no matter how far you go."
