Meet Alton Grose, a Buford High School Class of 2012 graduate. Alton was born in Ohio but raised in Georgia. His parents are Michelle Wehunt, David Wehunt and Stacey Cook. He has four siblings Dawson, Payton, Megan and Mackenzie Wehunt.
Life for Alton wasn’t easy growing up as the son of a single parent, but his life was destined to change when he met Payton Wehunt and his parents, Michelle and David Wehunt, in middle school playing basketball. Payton and Alton became good friends with Alton often sleeping over at the Wehunts’ home and David also coached several basketball teams that the friends were on. When Alton’s mother became ill and could no longer take care of him, the Wehunts opened up their home to him.
While at Buford High School, Alton was involved in drama and received the New Corner award. He also spent three years in the BHS chorus. His true love, of course, was basketball, and he was a member of the varsity basketball team from the 10th through the 12th grade. Alton maintained a 3.0 GPA during his four years at BHS and said his favorite subject was forensic science. He said several faculty members at BHS made an impact on him, people like Bonnie Davis, Kristie Sweat, Banks Bitterman and Mr. Cole.
“Bonnie Davis was a huge influence, she was always so supportive and happy for her students,” Alton said. “Mr. Cole spoke to me every time he saw me and made it a point at times to check on me throughout the years. Even to this day he reaches out to see how things are going. He truly cares about the students at Buford.”
The lessons learned in the classrooms and hallways of Buford High School have stayed with Alton throughout his life. Perhaps the lesson that stayed with him most was that “giving up is not an option, from sports, to grades and even tough business decisions being made every day.”
After graduating from BHS, Alton attended North Georgia Tech, as well as Gwinnett Technical College. Alton had a job from age 16 working at Lake Lanier Islands Resort on beach patrol duty. He worked hard and became full time and knew that if he put in the dedication and hours, he would be promoted. Alton met his goal of becoming the general manager of the water park but decided he wanted to try something different and became the front office assistant manager at the hotel. Once he saw that future growth there was not possible at the time, Alton decided to make a major career change. He switched to sales in the construction industry, quickly becoming district and regional manager. Alton noticed that the companies he worked for in the past failed their customers in the customer service and education areas. He knew he could do better, so he made the decision to open his own business in December 2019. Alton is the proud owner and CEO of Southern Standard Roofing and Exteriors based in Buford. The company has helped more than 700 homeowners to date with repairs to full roof replacements all with an emphasis on educating their clients and providing them with the best possible experience.
Today, Alton lives in Suwanee with his two beautiful cats Milo and Kairo.
Growing up as the son of a single parent and the hardships they went through impacted Alton as an adult. Because of this, Alton created a nonprofit organization called Southern’s Extended Family, which is focused on helping single parents.
Alton is an example of what a Wolf truly is, strong in spirit and determination. His life was not always the easiest, but with love and guidance from the Wehunts, as well as the faculty at Buford City Schools, Alton has become a successful person who gives back to those in need. Once a Wolf, always a Wolf!
The Buford High School alumni spotlights are made possible by the generosity of the City of Buford.
