Graduation and Scholarships and Awards ... Oh My!
BY WILL SADLER | ADVERTISING@OLNEYENTERPRISE.COM
Commencement season is an essential time for graduating seniors and families. Everyone is excited about the new opportunities that await the eager graduates as well as the celebration that marks the successful completion of four years of high school.
Finishing high school is impressive, and earning scholarships, awards and top honors such as valedictorian are the icing on the graduation cake. Olney High School officials recognized these seniors at the graduation ceremony Friday, May 17.
At Olney High School, academics can be competitive, and considering the amount of competition among the high-achieving students, two students managed to soar to the top of the class by earning the title valedictorian and salutatorian. These two students were Christian Fuksa who earned valedictorian, and Melanie Allen who earned salutatorian.
The highest academic honor a student can receive in high school is to be named valedictorian of his or her class. Typically, valedictory honors are determined by grade-point average; however, some schools may measure rankings differently. For example, certain schools may have weighted GPAs, which means students in higher level classes can earn weighted GPAs. If a student takes an advanced-placement course, he or she can garner a 5.0 score for that class by earning an A grade. Standard courses may top out at a 4.0 for a course for an A grade, according to PrepScholar, a school-testing guide and tips resource.
Even though top grades are part of the equation, it may take more than grades alone to be named valedictorian. Some schools may weigh other achievements as well. The honor of valedictorian may propel some to academic success for years to come.
For an overview of the achievements of all the students honored during the graduation ceremony, refer to the special graduation supplement inserted in this issue.
Congratulations to the graduating class of 2019 for a job well done.
Friday, May 10, the Olney High School had their annual presentation of the awards and scholarships.
There were numerous awards and scholarships awarded that night. What follows are the highlights of the evening.
Christian Fuksa was given the honor of class valedictorian (student with the highest grade-point average), and Melanie Allen received Salutatorian (student with the second highest grade-point average). See special supplement insert for photos of the valedictorian and salutatorian.
The following students who maintained an average of 90 or above were recognized for a distinguished level of achievement on the foundation graduation program: Melanie Allen, Ryan Clayton, Michael Declue, Porter Elliot, Cesar Flores, Christian Fuksa, Robert Gibson, Abbey Harrison, Emily Kellar, Michael Liming, Anahi Marquez, Parker Mayers, Luz Melchor, Jae Montgomery and Mason Spivey.
The UIL (University Interscholastic League) Scholar award was awarded to the following students who have shown the ability and shown the discipline to perform academically in extracurricular activities. The award restates the commitment to academic excellence through competition. The graduating senior students awarded are in the top 10 percent of their class and have also participated in at least one UIL activity: Melanie Allen, Christian Fuksa, Michael Liming and Jae Montgomery.
Some of the highlights of the scholarship portion of the presentation include the Charlie Davis Memorial scholarship to Alexandria Allsbrook. The Pace memorial scholarship was awarded to Cesar Flores and Parker Mayers. Fort Belknap awarded a scholarship to Michael Liming presented by Kendall Montgomery. Kendall, also awarded the scholarship from the Texas Rural Women’s Electric Association which only awards 15 scholarships across the entire state of Texas to Jae Montgomery, One of Kendall’s daughters which made this even more of a special occasion. The Steve Harvey Memorial baseball scholarship went to Porter Elliot, Cesar Flores and Noah Molina. Mike Winslow from the Olney Lions Club awarded scholarships to Melanie Allen and Jae Montgomery. The Friends of FFA awarded four scholarships to the following students: Melanie Allen, Brian Clayton, Christian Fuksa and Parker Mayers. The David H Memorial scholarship awarded six scholarships to the following students: Abbey Harrison, Anahi Marquez, Baylee Bernhardt, Claire Garcia, Jae Montgomery and Melanie Allen.
Some notable awards also were presented by the Marine Corps of the United States of America. The distinguished Athletes award to Jae Montgomery and Parker Mayers. The Scholastic Excellence award went to Melanie Allen and Christian Fuksa. Melanie Allen received two outside scholarships from the University of North Texas, which totaled $32,000. Michael Declue a Texas Tech presidential scholarship for $16,000. Cesar Flores received a presidential scholarship for $6,500. Michael Liming received scholarships from Baylor with a combined total of $16,340.
Congratulations to all the Olney High School seniors and we wish you the very best on your next journey.