Join the Tuscarora High School Titans from Frederick, Maryland, on their 20th anniversary celebration! In 2002-2003 the school opened for the very first time to serve the community. Fast forward 20 years later, it is still up and running for the 2022-2023 scholastic year under new leadership and lively students!

Looking back in TRO times, the school has hosted multiple events for the student body, the staff and the community! Some of these are “Homecoming in Hollywood’” during the 2021-2022 scholastic year, “March Madness” pep rallies, a “Night in Paris” prom, spirit weeks, staff appreciation week, powderpuff games, fundraisers and more. This would have not been possible without the people that make the school better every day and the community that it is in. With these past events, some students and teachers would like to keep in memory their favorite moments.

Principal Lisa Smith emphasizes that she “loves the diversity we have within the students and courses for everyone to grow!” She remembers one of the pep rallies from when she was working here before becoming principal and says that “there was a dance off with students versus teachers and the gym was so lively, we all had such a good time!”

Cheyan Whiting, (10), exclaims she loved “Homecoming in Hollywood” last year and can not wait for homecoming this year! She also admits she values the ambiance and environment throughout the students and enjoys coming to school everyday because of it. Ryan Schwab, (11), believes that school feels “mediocre” but he enjoys seeing the friends he has made at Tuscarora, every day. He is also “excited for homecoming this year” to celebrate with his classmates and peers. Paola Lopez,(12), says she is excited “to graduate and complete my journey within the Titan building!”

Clubs, sports, arts, programs and more! Tuscarora has many diverse course options to offer for students that want to explore all different career fields. For example, we have a plethora of leadership programs and opportunities like “Project Lead the Way” and the official National Honors Society run by Trishia Crowell. As well as “International Thespian Society”, run by Kathleen Moore, for those who want to commit to the performing arts! In addition, many of our students are affiliated with clubs that provide mentorship roles and inclusivity within the diversity of our students! Like the Lady Luminaries, Asian Student Association, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Model UN Club and more! The Best Buddies program and Local Love work in volunteering, assisting those in need.  Kayla Cash, (11), is a part of the PLTW program. She has concluded that, “Biomed has helped me understand what field options I have and what I truly want to do”. After a couple of months of Biomed she learned more about the outside world and she has more understanding of what goes on through the course!

With that being said, Tuscarora also has a very strong athletics department valuing the four C’s (Communication, care, consistency and commitment) within our student-athletes! Tuscarora has created a good foundation for well rounded students. The atmosphere the leaders, counselors and coaches provide gives freedom to those that want to explore different options by encouraging them to get involved as it helps them develop discipline, character, leadership and other skills that they will embark on in their lives outside of high school. Here’s what some of our Titans have expressed about their participation in some of our programs!

Gabby Snyder, (11), agreed that she likes the environment of Tuscarora High School and is very excited for her second year on Varsity field hockey! Julian Greenlee, (12),  expressed that he “enjoys playing football” and his favorite memory was beating TJ last year, 27-21.

It has been clear from the beginning that the heart of the school comes from the teachers and administration that have helped build it ground up! We would like to appreciate and mention some of their words of wisdom to acknowledge their help in the upbringing of the Tuscarora Titans. We asked some of the original titan a series of questions to which they answered wholeheartedly. 

“What was your favorite memory with a student(s)?”

Richard Hartman- “After 19 years teaching at THS, it’s literally impossible to name a single memory that stands above all others. I literally carry thousands of memories of my years spent there. The memories themselves run the gamut: some are hilarious, some are heartbreaking, some are inspiring, and some are infuriating. But they are all a part of a rather beautiful tapestry. And that’s how I remember my time there, as a beautiful tapestry.”

Bradley Gray- “There are so many! Having students that I wrote letters of recommendation for getting into the school of their dreams and seeing their excitement, getting invited to former students’ weddings and personal events, having former students reach out to me once they have graduated college just to keep in touch. There really are too many to just keep listing. If I were to summarize, my favorite memory is simply the opportunity to forge a relationship with my students.”

“What was your favorite memory in the building?”

Richard Hartman- “Again, like the first answer, there are too many. But I would say, one of my favorite things about Tuscarora is the amazing diversity of students, and how they all (for the most part) come together to create one Titan nation. Watching students from vastly different backgrounds form unlikely friendships was one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching at Tuscarora.”

Bradley Gray- “Again, there are a lot. We have had state championship caliber athletic teams, award winning musical programs, tremendous academic talent has walked through the building over the years. We have had a lot of great stuff happen within these walls over the past 20 years. On a purely personal level though, I would have to say having my girls lacrosse team going to play the #1 seed Damascus and beating them in overtime on their home field in the regional semifinals. That was a pretty awesome thing to be a part of.”

“How has the school changed over time?”

Richard Hartman- “How has THS changed over time? To put it simply, we started as a brand-new school, and that means we had no real culture or traditions to speak of. Over time, I have watched that change and grow. Titan Nation is a thing, whereas in the fall of 2003, we were all just trying to figure out who we were as a school.”

Bradley Gray- “We have always been a diverse student body which is one of the reasons I would never leave Tuscarora. Our diversity is changing though, we are getting more and more students from Africa and Asia as well as Latin America. This diversity is what makes us so unique among the high schools in this county and I hope it continues. When you walk through our halls, you see a miniature version of America and that is awesome.”

“Is there anything from before that you wish to still continue?”

Richard Hartman- “What would I like to see continue? That answer is somewhat selfish, I would like to see the things I started continuing after my departure last June. The Titan Times news site, the Remember the Titans Yearbook, murals on main street to mark homecoming or just the changing of the seasons, rotating displays of art in our Media Center. I think those are the things I was most proud of, and so I’d love to see those traditions continue regardless of whether there’s a Hartman in the building.”

Bradley Gray- “I really enjoyed the faculty – student competitions. We played the students in flag football, in basketball, even in kickball one year. I really thought those were fun and I’d like to do those again. Of course, I’m a lot older now so I’d need a lot of help from my younger colleagues.”

As we come to a new chapter in our Titan history, it’s important and refreshing to learn about how things have evolved for the students and the community. Titan Nation is strong and the bond we have created is impeccable! We have been celebrating for 20 years and hope to celebrate for 20 more! Thank you to the Titan community and FCPS for supporting our school.