Class of 2026 Senior Spotlight: Sarah Hou, Rockwood Summit High

Sarah Hou has always enjoyed pursuing creative outlets and cultivating her artistic talents. A district parliamentarian and chapter membership officer in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), she has also treasured the knowledge and interpersonal skills that go hand-in-hand with experiential learning in business.

As the Rockwood Summit High senior looks toward her future, she is excited to blend those two worlds together as a double major in apparel and textiles and management at the University of Alabama, with plans to earn her Master of Business Administration.

“I want to find a way to integrate some creative aspects into my life and, recently, I’ve gotten very into designing in fashion and sewing,” she said. “Combining that with some sort of business aspect would be really cool.”

Hou has been a Rockwood student since kindergarten, growing from Stanton Elementary to Rockwood South Middle to Rockwood Summit.

During her time in high school, Hou has served as president of the school’s National Honor Society chapter as well as being involved with Student Council, Renaissance and FBLA. This year, she qualified to compete at the FBLA State Leadership Conference in three different events: Job Interview, Public Service Announcement and Economics.

She also made the most of her experiences outside the halls of Rockwood Summit, including a week at Missouri Girls State this past summer.

“That was probably the best week of my life and the most I’ve ever learned, just the best experience,” Hou said. “That was because of Rockwood; they chose to send me.”

Some of her favorite memories involve building positive connections with her fellow students, including a win in last year’s powderpuff football game as a junior. She played defensive back.

“That was so fun. I liked to see how everyone in the grade came together. That was a whole-grade win,” Hou said. “My senior year has been truly the best year of my life. I love all of my friends here and all of my teachers so much. Leaving that behind is really sad, but obviously I’m very excited for what the future looks like. There are a lot of cool things coming.”