Volume 2, Number 4: July-August 2007

High School Graduations

Name School Other information — we did not ask for future plans, but some gave it. The lack of an entry here does NOT mean that the person had no honors or has no plans!

Steven Ancona*

Parkland High School, Winston-Salem, NC

International Baccalaureate certificates in Art and English. Will attend Forsyth Tech followed by the Savannah (GA) College of Art and Design, where he will major in Production Design.

Valerie Jeanne Bailey

North Crowley High School, Fort Worth, TX

 

Michael Blakeney, Jr.

Turner Job Corp, Albany, GA, GED

 

Jeremy Brannen

Yukon High School, OK

 

Abigail Butz

North College Hill H.S., OH

 

Erin Cole

Seymour High, WI

Co-valedictorian. Will major in Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin in Stevens Point.

Elizabeth Cook

Big Sandy High School, TX

 

Tiara Decembra

Marion High School, SC

 

Abel Dizon

Pasadena Polytechnic High, CA

Will attend University of California at Los Angeles.

Brittany Egbert

Huntington Beach High, CA

Will attend University of California at Irvine.

Delci Eschberger

Sonora High, La Habra, CA

3.75 GPA; enrolled in San Diego State University to major in Hospitality Management. Chosen for the SDSU Dance Team.

Lamin Fofanah

Southern California

 

LanDis Frederick (click for more info)

Hughes Center, Cincinnati, OH

Will attend Cincinnati University.

Nick Glaros

Options for Youth, San Gabriel, CA

Will attend Honor Academy, Garden Valley, TX

Stephanie Golden

Blair High School, Pasadena, CA

 

Felecia Gonzalez

Big Sandy High School, TX

 

Tommie Lee Grant III

Summerville High School, SC

 

Robyn Nicole Hall

Perquimans County High, NC

 

Garry McAlaster Hamrick II

Summerville High School, SC

 

Asia Hardy

Marshall High, Pasadena, CA

Will attend New York University.

Aaron Haynes

Western Brown High School, Mount Orab, OH

 

Ross Hill

Centerville High School, OH

 

Kenneth Hoeft

Stewartville High School, MN

 

Teague Holmes

Ridgefield Christian School, Jonesboro, AR

 

Travis A. Johnson

Burleson High School, TX

All State Academics honor

Joel Kirsch

Middleburg High School, FL

 

Danielle Lahr

Grafton High School, WI

Will attend University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire, majoring in Music Education.

Jacki Lakeberg  (click for more info)

Dixie Heights High School, Fort Mitchell, KY

Will attend Northern Kentucky University.

Tamara Lytch

Walterboro Job Corp, Walterboro, SC, GED

 

Joel Martin

Centerville High School, OH

 

Mary McKeown

Hawkins High School, TX

 

Wesley Clinton McKoy

Southern Lee High School, Sanford, NC

 

Elvis Monroy

Downtown Magnets High School, Los Angeles, CA

 

Mathew Morgan

Glendora High School, CA

Will attend California State Polytechnic University in Pomona.

Christina L. Murchison

Lee Senior High, Sanford, NC

 

Jeremiah Noordhoek

Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts

 

Deanna O’Brien

Gorman Learning Center, CA

 

Krista Olive

Crescenta Valley High, CA

Will attend Los Angeles City College.

Charles Olson

Marysville High School, WA

 

Betsy Pairitz

John Glenn High, Walkerton, IN

 

Melodee Pajela

Southern California

 

Tiffany Perez

EIE Academy, CA

 

Jonathan Petty

Arkansas Community College, High School Diploma

 

Adrian Pinnix

Terry Parker High School, Jacksonville, FL

 

Matthew Keneson Rakestraw

Florida State University School (Florida High)

Will major in engineering.

Laura Reed

Englewood Christian Academy, Independence, MO

 

Brady J. Rehm

East High School, Cheyenne, WY

 

Janay Reid

West Charlotte High School, NC

 

Richard Ridgell II

Handley High, Winchester, VA

 

Jerrold E. Rogers

Gananda High, Walworth, NY

 

Kayla Schallenberger  (click for more info)

Harrison High School, OH

Will attend Ohio University.

Tamara Scherick*

Colleyville Heritage High, TX

 

Theodore Schnoor

Western Wisconsin Technical College GED

 

Brandi Schultz  (click for more info)

Harrison High School, OH

Will attend Ohio University.

Zach Seymore

Batesville High School, AR

 

Jenna Lee Smith

Hedgesville High School, WV

Will attend Messiah College with a pre-med emphasis.

Jessica Smith*

Leander High School, TX

 

Jaimie Briana Stewart

Southern Senior High School, Durham, NC

 

Jordan Tatum

South Anchorage High, AK

 

Jennifer Lynn Terrana

Menomonie High School, WI

 

Mark Unthank  (click for more info)

Harrison High School, OH

Will attend University of Tampa.

Jacob Uselton

Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts

 

Todd Weaver

Batesville High School, AR

 

Hannah Wegner

EIE Academy, Monrovia, CA

Will attend Pasadena City College.

Ashleigh Wilson

Centerville High School, OH

 

Michael Young

Hancock High, St. Louis, MO

 

* Tamara Scherick is a member of the National Honor Society, National French Honor Society, and Who's Who Among American High School Students. She was also a member of the Varsity Dance Team, from which she won several awards, Varsity Treble Choir, Spirit Sisters, F.C.A. (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), Students Standing Strong, and secretary of the French Club. She served as a freshman mentor in the P.E.A.N.U.T.S. program (People Encouraging All New Underclassmen to Succeed); volunteered for Habitat for Humanity; interned at her local Senior Citizens Center, and taught the Jr.High class in the Dallas North local congregation. She is a graduate of the Summit Ministries Leadership Conference. Tamara plans to go on a mission trip to Lima, Peru this summer before attending Oklahoma Baptist University, for which she has also received several scholarships. With her intended major in Psychology she hopes to pursue a career in Marriage and Family Therapy or Gerontology.

*Jessica Smith, daughter of William and Connie Smith, is graduating from Leander High School in May 2007. Jessica and her family are members of Family Christian Fellowship, our congregation near Austin, Texas. Jessica has been an active leader in church: she attends our teen church classes, helps plan and take part in teen activities, and has served as a worship leader in our congregation for the past couple of years. As part of our church, she has made multiple trips to the New Orleans area to help with post-Katrina rebuilding. Jess has attended our youth camps in Minnesota, Oklahoma and South Carolina, and she was part of the planning team and one of the pioneer missionaries at Crossing Borders Mexico mission camp. In high school, Jessica has participated in color guard for four years and in HOSA (Health Occupational Students of America) for three years. She has taken specialized classes in health-science technology for two years, plans to qualify for her phlebotomy license in June, and will start college in August to become a paramedic. In addition, Jess has been involved with American Sign Language (ASL) for three years and hopes to earn an interpreting license.
 

Graduates of Technical Schools, Colleges & Universities

Susan Barnhill

Davidson County Community College, NC

Early Childhood Associate Degree

Cuyler Cannon

Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA

B.A. in Computer Sciences

Katherine E. Carter

King’s Seminary, Van Nuys, CA

Masters in Practical Theology, with honors. She also holds a M.S. degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fuller Theological Seminary and is preparing to take the MFT licensing exam in fall 2008. She is a ministerial intern at Community Life Fellowship, Altadena, CA

Tricia Cole

Axia College, U. of Phoenix, online

A.A. in Business

David Crouch

Pennsylvania State University, PA

B.S. in Information Sciences and Technology, with high honors

Bermie Dizon

Azusa Pacific University, CA

M.A. in Christian Education

Eric Troy Ellett

University of Florida, FL

Master of Business Administration

Dennis Elliott*

North Carolina State University, NC

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering; valedictorian

Kyra Giles

Michigan State University, MI

B.A. in Journalism

Lisa Graham

University of South Carolina Upstate, SC

B.S. in Psychology

Octavia Antrinette Hall

Alabama State University, AL

B.S. in Psychology

Tyson Levar Hall

Jacksonville State University, AL

M.A. in Music Education

Erick Harrell

University of Phoenix, GA

B.S. in Business Management and Marketing

Erin Hart

University of Cincinnati, OH

B.A. in Social Work

Kimberly Hickman

Cincinnati Bible Seminary, OH

M.A. in Counseling

Janine Marie Jackson

University of Miami, FL

M.S. in Music, emphasis in Music Therapy

Bridget Michelle Jones

University of New Orleans, LA

B.S. in Psychology

Stephanie Jones

Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH

M.A. in Educational Administration

Allison K. Kurts

Auburn University, AL

Doctor of Pharmacy. Will serve a one-year residency at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, TN.

Richard Lane

King’s Seminary, Van Nuys, CA

Masters of Divinity, with honors. Serves as student body president 2006-2007, now serves as pastoral assistant at Community Life Fellowship in Altadena, CA

Nora Lea Larsen*

Bellingham Technical College, WA

Accounting Assistant Certificate*

Ellen Lechlitner

Bethel College, IN

M.S. in Environmental Biology

Terry Marshall

Auburn University, AL

B.A. in Communications; minor in Music Perform.

Neil Melton

South Eastern Oklahoma State Univ., OK

Occupational Health & Safety

Laniece Miller

Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY

B.S. in Physics

Neftalie Morales

Vidal Sasoon Academy, Santa Monica, CA

Cosmetology

Stephanie Perez

Rio Hondo Community College, CA

Associate of Arts - see photo below

Tiffany Perez

Rio Hondo Community College, CA

Associate of Arts (in August)

Lynsey Pope

Mt. Vernon Nazarene University, OH

B. of Language Arts

Treva Pryor

Indiana Wesleyan University, IN

Masters of Education

Jon Reinagel

University of Missouri – Rolla, MO

B.S. in Physics

Kneight Reinagel

Westwood College, Woodridge, IL

B.S. in Game Software Development

William Spencer II

Ohio Valley University, WV

B. of Business Administration  in Information Technology; dean's list.

Amber Dawn Taylor

Wesley College, Dover, DE

B.S. in Nursing

Tonya Thompson

Rutgers University, Newark, NJ

B.S. in Digital Arts; will pursue a master's degree at Jersey State University.

Kimberly Toliver

Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ

Masters in Sports Medicine

Robin Nicole Webster

Minnesota State University, MN

M.S. in Professional Communication, emphasis in Marriage & Counseling

Sarah Elizabeth Wigfall

University of Virginia Law School, VA

Juris Doctor

Bethany Ann Winfield

Dillard University, LA

B.S. in Nursing

Debbie Wood

Tyler Leadership Class, TX

Certificate in Leadership

Dennis Elliott graduated as one of the valedictorians at North Carolina State University on May 12, 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. While in school, he received honors such as being a Caldwell Scholar, making the Deans List 8 out of 8 semesters, and receiving the Lockheed Martin Scholarship. Throughout his career at N.C. State, he also was a part of many organizations, including Gamma Beta Phi, Phi Kappa Phi, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and Pi Tau Sigma, the mechanical engineering honor society, which Dennis was president of his junior year. He has accepted a position with Baxter Health Care as a Project Engineer. He is the son of Janet and the (late) John Thomas Elliott. He attends New Beginnings Church in Hickory, NC.

Bellingham Technical College in Bellingham, Washington is having their Spring Graduation Ceremony scheduled for June 28, 2007. Nora Lea Larsen will be receiving an Accounting Assistant Certificate that day. She says: I have enjoyed going to school, meeting new people. It's been hard work getting back in the groove of studying, meeting deadlines, taking tests etc. My husband, Carl, has been my encouragement, my strength, through this past year. He took over some of the household duties, so that I would have time to study. I have worked in the accounting and bookkeeping field for the last 30 years or so and have loved it. When I had a chance to go back to school with the help of the State of Washington grants, I took it. Many of my classmates, who are younger than I, wondered why I would want to go back to school. I have always wanted to go back to school in the accounting field, but never had a chance, so when the opportunity came, I took it. I was 71 years old last December. It is never too late to go back to school and learn, as it keeps you feeling younger, in spite of the aches and pains of age. Prayers and talking to God has also given me strength and encouragement I needed. I couldn't have done it without God's help and my husband.

Stephanie & Tiffany Perez, Rio Hondo College

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