
In 1992, as a sophomore at Arcadia High School in Accomack County, James Fedderman needed an A on the final exam in order to pass his English class.
He was the center of attention — in a good way, his English teacher, Liz Kuhns, said — and full of life, but struggled in school. He finished ninth grade with a 0.86 GPA and waited until the last minute to get serious about his classes.