BRADFORD — Tradition runs deep in the Otts family.
Madison Otts, 17, is the latest member of the family to have graduated from Bradford High School. She did so in style on May 8 — she was the highest honor graduate, the valedictorian and the graduation speaker.
Madison’s parents are also graduates of the small high school in White County; there are approximately 450 students in the district, which includes kindergarten through the 12th grade.
Madison’s mother, Sabrina Walker Otts, is the high school counselor and a 1996 graduate of Bradford High School. Madison’s father, Shane Otts, is a Church of Christ minister, and he graduated from Bradford in 1992.
Sabrina’s mother, Wanda Crutchfield Walker, graduated in 1977; Sabrina’s dad, Cecil Walker, attended Bradford but did not graduate and later finished his education at Foothills Vo-Tech in Searcy. Sabrina’s sister, Tabitha Walker Owens, also graduated from Bradford, receiving her diploma in 1999.
Shane Otts’ family has a long line of Bradford graduates as well. His mother, Joyce Baker Hoofman, graduated from Bradford High School in 1960, and his grandmother, the late Ludeen Baker, graduated in 1938. Shane’s brother and sister are also graduates of Bradford. His brother, David Baker, graduated in 1987, and his sister, DeShawn Sutter Robinson, in 1982; DeShawn was valedictorian of her class.
“I have always lived in Bradford,” Sabrina said.
Sabrina graduated from Arkansas State University in May 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She began teaching middle school history at Bradford in August 2001.
“In August 2006, I began a school counseling position at Midland High School in Pleasant Plains while I was working on my master’s at Harding University [in Searcy] that same year,” Sabrina said. “I graduated with my master’s degree in school counseling in 2007 and came back to Bradford schools in 2008. At that time, I taught sixth-grade literacy until 2011, when I became the high school counselor.”
Madison said her mother was her middle school teacher in sixth grade.
“It went well,” Madison said, smiling. “No one ever teased me about my mother being the teacher.”
Sabrina said she has watched that group of students grow up and, now, graduate from high school.
“I cried a little bit that day,” Sabrina said of graduation day. “I was their homeroom mom for many years. I got to know them all personally.”
Madison graduated No. 1 in her class of 26 with a 4.156 grade-point average. She also did well on her ACT with a score of 30.
“I have gone here all 12 years,” Madison said. “I’ve made straight A’s.”
Madison plans to attend Harding University and double major in accounting and health care management.
“I want to work in the financial department of a hospital,” she said. “I want to stay close to Bradford.”
Madison received an Academic Achievement Scholarship to Harding, valued at $55,000. She also received the Dr. Smith Memorial Scholarship, worth $1,250, and the Unity Health Auxiliary scholarship for $1,000.
“I am looking forward to going to Harding,” Madison said. “I have already met my roommate. She is from Howe, Texas.”
Sabrina said, smiling: “I am very proud of her.”
Madison played basketball at Bradford High School until this year, when there were not enough players to make a team. Previously, the basketball team had played in the state conference and was district champion in back-to-back seasons.
Madison was active in the Bradford chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and served as president for the past two years. She was also parliamentarian of District 2 during her sophomore year. Members of the local chapter participated in food drives and sponsored a banquet for senior citizens.
Madison was a member of the Beta Club and served as secretary during her junior and senior years. She also participated in a skit at the state Beta Convention.
“We placed in the top five with our skit, which we called The Beta Club,” she said.
Madison was also voted by faculty and staff as Miss Bradford High School 2017.
Her hobbies include reading.
“I like to read anything,” she said. “I like Nicolas Sparks books … John Grisham, too.”
She has taken Advanced Placement classes, including U.S. history and statistics, and honors physics.
“I also took concurrent English, college algebra and history through Arkansas State University at Beebe,” she said. “I got 12 hours through that program.”
Madison has two younger sisters who may continue the tradition of graduating from Bradford High School. Her younger sister, Mallory, 12, is a seventh-grader at Bradford, and Madison’s youngest sister, Maleah, is 3.
“I’ll be 53 before the youngest one graduates,” Sabrina said, laughing. “I’ll probably still be right here.”