Red Bay valedictorian Burks eyes career as nurse practitioner

As Valedictorian of the Class of 2026, Red Bay High School’s Anna Kate Burks had a lot of options when it came to choosing the next step in her educational path.

But the University of North Alabama made what could have been a difficult choice easy.

With a ranking consistently in the top three of all Alabama universities, UNA’s Nursing program carries a strong reputation.

Combine that with multiple scholarship offers available to Burks, and it was an opportunity too good to refuse.

It also helped that Burks’ best friend, Nylah Allison, will be her roommate next fall on campus at UNA. 

So Burks, the daughter of Tim and Leigh Burks, will take the first step of what she hopes will be a career as a nurse practitioner when she enrolls at UNA for summer courses.

She received an Honors Program scholarship from UNA, which covers tuition and housing, but comes with a requirement of maintaining a 3.5 Grade Point Average. She also earned a $1,000 Valedictorian Scholarship from UNA and an $8,000 tuition scholarship for her ACT score of 27. 

She credits Red Bay High School Principal Brady Ramey for really encouraging students to prepare for and prioritize taking the ACT.

Burks also received a Tri-State Educational Foundation Scholarship, available as supplemental scholarships for students living within a 50-mile radius of Iuka, Ms., pursuing a degree in Nursing. 

Burks is well on her way academically already thanks to the nearly 50 credit hours she’s already earned through dual enrollment classes offered by Northwest Shoals Community College to Franklin County high school students.

“I think taking dual enrollment classes helps prepare you for those harder courses you’ll have at UNA. And Northwest Shoals offered us free classes while we’re in school so it was a great opportunity,” Burks said.

Red Bay students know Burks’ mother from her position as assistant principal at Red Bay Elementary.

While some students might not care for the close proximity of a parent serving as an administrator, but Anna Kate enjoyed her mother being on the same campus, available with just a short walk down the hallway.

“My parents have never not supported anything I’ve wanted to do. When it came to going to college, they let me decide where I wanted to go—never pushing me into a certain school or major. They let me decide on my own,and regardless of the decisions I’ve made, they’ve always been supportive,” Burks said.

Although Burks was blessed to have many educators who helped her along her educational path at Red Bay, the one who stands out to the Valedictorian is Leah Torisky, who Burks had for multiple science classes.

“She’s amazing at what she does. She’s so supportive of her students. I’ll definitely miss her because of how great she is at her job,” Burks said. “There was never a day she came not wanting to teach.

“She was always so happy, so excited to teach and that was reflected in her students,” Burks added.

A two-year varsity cheerleader at Red Bay, Burks also played volleyball all four years of high school.

With the strong community support Red Bay gives its athletic programs, it made cheering a little easier.

“As a cheerleader, it’s always nice to have the stands full with excitement. Red Bay is always supportive and shows up in strong numbers,” Burks said.

She was Vice President of HOSA (Future Health Professionals) her junior year and served as President this year. Burks was also active in Red Bay’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes club for two years.

She’s ready to move to the next chapter of her life, but that doesn’t means Burks won’t miss Red Bay High School.

“I’ll definitely miss the sports at Red Bay. It’s one of those chapters that’s hard to close. I’m ready to move on, but I’ll also miss getting together with my friends every day,” Burks said.

“It will be exciting to meet new people from other areas. That’s something I’m looking forward to, but saying goodbye to Red Bay won’t be easy,” she added.