Andrew Wynne, an HHS senior, is up for Emperor of the Taj. When the candidates were announced, he “didn’t expect to win or be elected,” but as soon as he was, Wynne jumped right into fundraising. To do so, he has reached out to local businesses, is selling candy and snacks, doing a hat sale, and also having an activity where you can pay to dump ice water on administrators.
Though Emperor of the Taj is a contest, Wynne believes that “it’s not really about who wins, it’s about raising money for the kids.” Additionally, Wynne wants to raise “as much as possible” in the 2025 race for Emperor. Outside of class, Wynne runs cross country and is involved in FCA. After high school, he wants to be a teacher.
For his sponsor, Wynne chose Ms. Hobbs because “she’s a good teacher, she’s always been there, [and] she’s sweet.” Ms. Hobbs said that she was honored when he asked her to sponsor him because she understands that he would have loved for his dad [former Heritage teacher Mr. Jeremy Wynne] to sponsor him. Ms. Hobbs teaches Wynne in her AP Environmental Science class, and said that he is “one of the greatest kids ever, and he’s got a big heart.” Ms. Hobbs also said, “He’s super smart, kind, and compassionate to other people.”
As far as the Emperor of the Taj contest goes, Ms. Hobbs said, “I think he’s one of the few kids who gets that we are doing this for a greater cause. He’s not trying to get his own crown; he wants to help somebody else out.”
At 18 years old, Landon Hoover is stepping forward as a Taj candidate. He was nominated by his classmates, who recognized his energy and leadership. While many candidates focus heavily on social media, Hoover is taking a more personal approach. His campaign relies on eye-catching posters around the school, a central presence, and Mrs. Fleming’s classroom, where students can connect with him and purchase items to support his efforts.
Hoover’s fundraising strategy is straightforward yet effective: sell products students genuinely want. By focusing on what will excite his peers, he hopes to generate enthusiasm and raise money efficiently. Confident in his approach, he describes himself as optimistic, energetic, and “odd” – qualities he believes set him apart from the competition.
Beyond the campaign, Hoover has a ton on his plate, which really shows how dedicated and driven he is. He competes in cross country and track, participates in several clubs, and even manages his own landscaping business. This balance of athletics, academics, and entrepreneurship shows not only discipline but also a willingness to take initiative.
His ambitions extend far beyond high school. Hoover dreams of becoming a constitutional attorney, opening his own law firm, and pursuing a career in politics. With these goals in mind, his current campaign serves as an early step in the much larger journey. When asked about his inspiration Hoover didn’t hesitate: his faith and devotion to Jesus are the foundation of his motivation and values.
For Hoover, running for the Taj is about more than titles–it’s about energy, vision, and making an impact. Whether leading through athletics, building his own business, or planning his future in law and politics, Hoover is determined to stand out. Confident in his path, he believes he’s the right candidate to bring enthusiasm and results to his class.
Cruz Jackson is a 17-year-old senior at our Heritage High School, and he is one of many boys running for Emperor of the Taj. Jackson was one of eight senior boys to be nominated for Emperor. Whoever out of those eight boys raises the most money will be crowned Emperor of the Taj.
Jackson, specifically, is selling a variety of things to raise this money. On Monday, he sold energy drinks and baked goods, and on Tuesday, he said he will have a taco bar provided by El Trio. To promote this fundraiser, Jackson made an Instagram account, “cruz4emperor”, and printed out flyers to put around the school.
Outside of school, Jackson plays for two soccer teams, and plans to go to college with a soccer scholarship. What makes Jackson stand out from the other candidates is that he orchestrated most of this by himself. Jackson took initiative to go out and talk to businesses and try to get their support. On the topic of why he is special compared to the other candidates, he said, “I like to think I’m a good person.”
As of Monday, Jackson says that they estimate raising $2,000. Seeing the other Emperors throughout Jackson’s high school career inspired him to run when he became a senior. He always thought it could be cool, and now he is doing it with his two friends, Landon Hoover and Cooper Chappelear. Jackson believes that he is a hard-working and outgoing student. Choose Cruz Jackson for Emperor of the Taj!
Logan Cheatwood was nominated with seven others. He chose his class sponsor to be Mrs. Jennifer Hamilton. The two have lots of strategies to raise as much money as they can. Mrs. Hamilton was excited and honored when Logan asked her to be his sponsor. Cheatwood knows she will be a lot of help. Mrs. Hamilton stated, “I am so excited to be sponsoring Logan Cheatwood for Emperor of the Taj! He is a great representative for Heritage High School.”
Cheatwood and his sponsor have come together to come up with money raising ideas. They are selling “GENERALS” t-shirts through next Tuesday to raise funds. You can order one of those by scanning posters in the hallway, asking Cheatwood, or going to Mrs. Hamilton’s classroom. They are also doing a spirit night at McAlister’s Deli on September 10th from 6:30-8:00. September 16th, they will be sponsoring a spirit night at Moe’s.
They will also have the Kona Ice truck at Heritage during lunch on Thursday. Lastly, Cheatwood will be having a candy cart during lunch next week. “Bring some money and help support my campaign, while also helping those in need,” Cheatwood said. Cheatwood is very honored and excited for this, he is motivated to make money because he knows this money will really help many kids and families. His goal is to make $5,000 and hopefully win Emperor of the Taj.
Jake Collett was nominated to raise money to win the Emperor of the Taj. All of the money raised goes to the Catoosa County Children’s Fund. Collett picked his teacher sponsor to be Mrs. Armour. Both Collett and Mrs. Armour are excited to raise money, and will do what it takes to win.
Mrs. Armour said, “I was honored that Jake Collett asked me to be his teacher sponsor. Jake is the meaning of a true General, and we are so excited to raise money for such a great cause!” Collett already has many fundraisers set up, and is selling a few things. He is selling t-shirts and buttons, and will be selling food at lunch the week of Homecoming. If you want to buy from him, you can find him in the gym lobby during lunch.
His strategy for people to buy from him and not others is to sell the more popular food and items that people actually want. Collett stated, “As much as I want people to buy things from me, you should support any of the candidates because it is going to a good cause.” Collett and Mrs. Armour are both very excited for this campaign. They are motivated to make money because they know all the money is going to help people in need.
Collett does not have a number he wants to raise in mind: he just wants it to be enough to be an impact for the Children’s Fund. However, winning Emperor of The Taj would also be a big accomplishment. Overall, he just wants to help the kids, but if gets the Emperor of the Taj label, it would definitely be very cool to him.
One of the candidates selected to raise money for the Catoosa Children’s Fund is Cody Bryan. Bryan is a 18-year-old senior at Heritage High School. Cody is planning to sell pizza, biscuits and Kona Ice during school at lunch time. He is also hosting an event on Sunday, September 14th. It’s a cornhole tournament to add some fun to this campaign.
He is promoting his campaign through many social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. If you want to buy items from Bryan, you can buy them at lunch.
Cody does other things like play football and baseball. Some of his hobbies include going fishing and attending church every Sunday with his family. When he grows up, he wants to get his degree and start building homes. He has many goals, and he plans to achieve his goals because of how dedicated he is. His dedication helps for the Taj campaign for kids; he will continue to raise money throughout the week and at his event on Sunday. His goal for the amount of money is $5,000.
“Mrs. Bice helped me become interested in the Emperor of the Taj because it looks good on college applications, and I want to look as good as possible,” Bryan said. Bryan is a kind-hearted, hard working student, and only wants the best for the fund for children and will be happy with whoever wins because it’s all for fun and for a good cause. Bryan believes that he will make a difference in the campaign with how much money he can raise. Bryan said, “People are giving already, and we haven’t even started selling stuff yet.”
He is planning to exceed the goal of $5,000 or more, and be the winner of Emperor of the Taj with all of the help he has received. He is confident this will go well for him in the race to get the most money for an amazing cause.
Cooper Chappelear is an 18-year-old senior at Heritage High School. He’s one of the candidates for Emperor of the Taj, an event our high school does to raise money for the Catoosa County Children’s Fund during Homecoming week. He describes himself as resilient, dependable, and humble. His faith to Christianity and his humbleness when it comes to the other candidates are key attributes when it comes to Chappelear.
Chappelear plays both football and disc golf outside of school, and when he’s not doing that, he’s hanging out with his friends. His plan after high school is to pursue ministry and preaching the Lord’s word, getting a degree at a Georgia college to be determined and then pursuing a career.
You can find Chappelear in the hallways or at football games, where he sells shirts. He aims to double the earnings from last year, which were $17k, and wants to raise $30k overall between him and the other candidates. Chappelear focuses on the purpose of the Emperor of the Taj, and how many children they can help with their money through the event. He thinks it doesn’t matter if you vote for him or not, it only matters that you buy from one of them and support the cause they’re raising money for. His strategy to raise the most money is putting himself out there, using posters and promotional social media to really get the word out about himself with the help of his teacher sponsor, Mrs. Dinna Spradlin.
With his sponsor’s help, he’ll be here all week. He’ll be selling goods and other things daily, so if you see him in the hallway, make sure to stop by and see what he has to offer!
Cayden Lowrey is an 18-year old-senior and one of the candidates for Emperor of the Taj here at Heritage. Outside of school, he enjoys playing basketball for the Heritage team, and plans to pursue a career in basketball after high school. You can find him at lunch either in the gym or at the front of the school, selling quesadillas and candy.
To promote himself, he’s doing a basketball camp down at the Thunder Performance Center. Not only that, but he’s also playing dodgeball and kickball with the kids down there. He’s been posting his journey all over social media, which is helping to push himself out there and convince others to vote for him. This helps fuel his love for basketball, as well as help others in their sports journey to get better.
He plans to raise $5000 just himself, and his strategy to raise the most money is using people’s interests. He knows what the students at Heritage like: candy, Mexican food, and basketball. He takes these interests into consideration whenever deciding what to sell to maximize his profit, and to sell things people will actually like and buy.
Lowrey describes himself as a fun guy, and he’s friends with everyone. He’s weird, funny, outgoing, and overall a nice guy to be around. He’s most inspired by God and his parents, who work hard to support him and his interests each and every day.
