Iola High School’s Class of 2015 — recognized Wednesday at a Senior Awards Night ceremony — has set a lofty academic bar for successive classes to follow. Seniors earning various scholarships: Academic Achievement Award winners (3.5 GPA for three consecutive semesters)
Principal Stacey Fager pointed out a pair of the impressive statistics.
Seven seniors have been recognized as State Scholars, an award earned by maintaining a grade-point average of at least 3.9, with a 30 or above average score on the American College Test (ACT).
“We had one recipient last year,” Fager said, “and that’s pretty normal.”
“We are recognizing something pretty outstanding,” he continued. “Sometimes we don’t do enough to recognize these outstanding achievements.”
It wasn’t just a select few who raked in the hardware.
Twenty-five seniors received Academic Achievement Awards for maintaining a 3.5 GPA or above for three consecutive semesters, “our biggest group ever,” Fager said.
Fager also admonished the scholarship recipients to take a moment or two to recognize their donors.
“When a family or an organization chooses to make a donation, they’re really making an investment,” he said. “The least you can do is write a reply, thanking them for that donation. A lost art nowadays is writing a thank-you note and dropping it in the mail. I can’t stress enough what a positive impact that would have.”
Recipients honored were:
McFadden Scholars: Lexie Long and Jonathan Tidd
Edward Zahn FFA Scholarship: Colton Heffern, Brock Peters, Drake Dieker, Baleigh Seeber, Lauren Hunt, Baylea Thompson
Built Ford Tough Scholarship: Colton Heffern
Iola-NEA Scholarship: Garrett Prall
LaHarpe High School Alumni Association Scholarship: Baylea Thompson
American Legion Auxiliary of Moran Scholarship: Blaine Klubek
Iola Booster Club Scholarship: Baleigh Seeber and Shane Walden
Ellis Foundation-Westar Energy-Kraft Scholarship: Brock Peters
Kansas Scholars Curriculum completers: Alex Bauer, Emery Driskel, Sarah Gonzales, Addison Haar, Travis Hermstein, Tyler Holloway, Emily Klubek, Jo Lohman, Lexie Long, Kaden Macha, Adam Peterson, Emma Piazza, Jonathan Tidd, Shane Walden and Andrew Waldman
2015 State Scholars: Alex Bauer, Sarah Gonzales, Tyler Holloway, Jo Lohman, Kaden Macha, Emma Piazza and Jonathan Tidd
Educational Excellence Award: Alex Bauer, Sarah Gonzales, Colton Heffern, Tyler Holloway, Emily Klubek, Jo Lohman, Lexie Long, Kaden Macha, Brock Peters, Emma Piazza, Garrett Prall and Jonathan Tidd.
Outstanding Academic Achievement: Duncan Brookes III
Exceptional Academic Performance: Alex Bauer
PEO Award: Emma Piazza
Dr. Robert Harwood Foundation Scholarship: Travis Hermstein
Kansas State University Outstanding Senior in Mathematics and Science Award: Jonathan Tidd
Frank and Allegra Myers Pride in Mathematics Scholarship: Jonathan Tidd
KSHSAA Citizenship Award: Emma Piazza and Shane Walden
Dale Dennis Excellence in Education Award: Emma Piazza
Allen Community College Scholarships: Drake Dieker, Dean’s Scholarship; Kohl Endicott, Cross Country Scholarship; Sarah Gonzales, Presidential Scholarship; Addison Haar, Women’s Basketball Scholarship; Colton Heffern, Presidential Scholarship; Hunter Layman, Art Scholarship; Kaleb Mock, Merit Scholarship; Kyra Moore, Volleyball Scholarship and Academic Scholarship; Brock Peters, Dean’s Scholarship; Adam Peterson, Presidential Scholarship; Austin Roloff-Tremain, Band Scholarship; Hannah Stout, Dance Scholarship; Katherine Terhune, Choir Scholarship; Baylea Thompson, Presidential Scholarship; Shane Walden, Golf Scholarship and Academic Scholarship; and Asri Yunita, Merit Scholarship
Alex Bauer: University of Kansas Chancellor’s Scholarship
Emery Driskel: Tabor College academic scholarship, Tabor College volleyball scholarship, William Jewell academic scholarship and William Jewell volleyball scholarship
Joseph Dunlap: Kansas State University Memorial Scholarship
Tyler Holloway: Pittsburg State University Academic Achievement Scholarship, PSU Chemistry Department Scholarship and PSU Alumni Legacy Scholarship
Emily Klubek: Pittsburg State University Academic Achievement Scholarship and PSU Carol A. Sinclair Memorial Scholarship
Jo Lohman: Drake University Presidential Scholarship
Kaden Macha: University of Central Missouri Red and Black Scholarship
Brittany Martin: Neosho County Community College Upward Bound Briggs Scholarship
Emma Piazza: University of Kansas Crimson and Blue Scholarship
Garrett Prall: Kansas State University Medallion Scholarship, KSU L.C. Law Esco Scholarship and KSU Rosemont-Pied Music Scholarship???
Jonathan Tidd: Kansas State University Foundation Club Scholarship and KSU Jack and Betsy Lambert Scholarship
Shane Walden: Missouri Western State University Neighboring State Scholarship
Seniors: Alex Bauer, Drake Dieker, Emery Driskel, Sarah Gonzales, Addie Haar, Colton Heffern, Travis Hermstein, Tyler Holloway, Matthew Jacobs, Emily Klubek, Torrie Lewis, Jo Lohman, Lexie Long, Kaden Macha, Kyra Moore, Brock Peters, Adam Peterson, Emma Piazza, Garrett Prall, Baleigh Seeber, Katie Terhune, Baylea Thompson, Jonathan Tidd, Shane Walden and Andrew Waldman.
Juniors: Olivia Bannister, Valaree Burtnett, McKayli Cleaver, Cassandra Delich, Caitlin Dreher, Taylor Heslop, Allyson Hobbs, Hannah Ingle, Micaiah Larney, Emily McKarnin, Clarie Moran, Sagar Patel, Mikaela Platt, Alexis Poffenbarger, Britanie Rogers, Taylor Sell, Yohon Sinclair, Bobbi Sinclair, Taelyn Sutterby, Abigail Taylor, Brett Taylor, Joie Whitney, Clara Wicoff and Colby Works
Sophomores: Persephone Burleson, Ben Cooper, Ryan Eyster, Alexis Heslop, Kendall Jay, Riley Murry, Alexandrea Peres, Chase Regehr, Dakota Settlemeier, Victoria Smith and Sydney Wade
Iola Principal: 2015 class a hard act to follow
