To her friends she’s still ‘just Koryn’

Koryn Hawthorne returned home to Abbeville Wednesday afternoon to a welcome worthy of a superstar.
That kind of welcome was well earned. After all, Hawthorne learned she reached the top five on NBC’s “The Voice” only 16 hours earlier.
Hawthorne’s fellow Lighthouse Christian Prep students attended Wednesday’s welcome home rally at Abbeville High School. Hawthorne flew in from California over night to attend the celebration.
“It’s very exciting and we are very proud of her,” Lighthouse student Joy Spraggins said.
The show’s production crew had cameras capturing the homecoming. The students certainly get the excitement, but to them, Hawthorne is not Koryn from “The Voice.” She is Koryn from school.
“She’s my cousin so I have known her all my life,” Spraggins said. “It’s kind of weird to see all of this hoopla for her.
“She’s just Koryn, our friend and cousin.”
Javen Bolden, another of Hawthorne’s cousins, agreed.
“It’s great seeing her do something she has always loved,” Bolden said. “We are really just here to support her as family.”
Samorae Bolden said it is that family aspect that makes this all the better.
“I’m so happy for her,” Samorae Bolden said. “It is different for us because Koryn comes from such a close-knit family at school. We couldn’t ask for more for her.
“She has been waiting for something like this for a long time.”
Hawthorne’s talents have certainly brought her attention, both at home and beyond. Cameras followed almost every move Wednesday.
“It’s kind of a whirlwind,” Keiana Perro, a classmate and friend, said of the production surrounding Hawthorne’s journey. “It seems a little overwhelming sometimes.
“It’s fun, though, and we are just taking it all in.”
Again, for Hawthorne’s peers, the spectacle still seems out of place.
“It’s funny to see all of this,” Javen Bolden said. “To us she is still not famous. She is just Koryn.”
The same Koryn, as a matter of fact.
“She hasn’t changed,” Spraggins said. “Not at all.”