It’s been just over two years since Elmore County High School Class of 2025 valedictorian Robbie Grace Bolton was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. But the journey has opened the doors to a career.
“I hope to be a pediatric nurse practitioner and specialize in rheumatology,” Bolton said. “It means a lot to me.”
Bolton’s journey with rheumatoid arthritis started in 2023 with what was supposed to be an ankle sprain. But after weeks of rehab, rest and treatment, there was no improvement. A couple months later labs presented her with the chronic illness.
“I now want to make an impact on other children in similar situations,” Bolton said.
She has learned to compete in volleyball and basketball and manage her rheumatoid arthritis.
“It mainly affects me after activity,” Bolton said. “I’ve learned what medications help best when being active and how they need to change when I’m not playing.”
Juvenile arthritis wasn’t the first major thing Bolton has had to deal with her life. She came to Eclectic schools in the sixth grade. A fire destroyed her home in Holtville. For months Bolton and her family lived in a hotel before landing in Eclectic.
There Bolton found her community.
“There's just a big community here that makes everyone feel like family and provides unlimited support and resources,” Bolton said. “They really help you succeed in everything you do.”
Bolton has enrolled in Southern Union State Community College for nursing and will continue her education to Auburn University, all for her journey to help children like her. Bolton’s education journey might be a little shorter than others. Thanks to dual enrollment, she is technically a second semester sophomore in college.
“I took all the AP classes I could. I took all the dual enrollment classes,” Bolton said. “Actually, this year I only had one class on campus because I took all dual enrollment classes. I maintained a 4.0 GPA. It was all A's in my dual enrollment classes, and I ended school with a 4.45 GPA.”
