May 17, 2007

The Yellow Springs High School honored its students for their academic achievement at its annual National Honor Society scholarship awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 16. A total of 64 high school students were honored for the achievements that follow:

Alex Visbal was awarded valedictorian and Carly Bailey was awarded salutatorian of the class of 2007. Toby Cromer was honored as a commended student in the National Merit Scholarship Program, and India Scarver won recognition in the National Achievement Scholarship Program.

The Ohio Academic Scholarship of $2,205 per year for up to four years was awarded to Carly Bailey.

Honors diplomas were awarded to graduating seniors Carly Bailey, Brandon Carver-Halley, Toby Cromer, Olivia Dixon, three-year graduate Rosa Dixon, Whitney Finster, Mary Hyde, Kumar Jensen, Michaela McCuddy, Nathan Moore, Sarah Reed, Jesse Rothman, Mori Rothman, Erin Silvert-Noftle and Alex Visbal.

State of Ohio Awards of Merit were given to graduating seniors Carly Bailey, Brandon Carver-Halley, Toby Cromer, Olivia Dixon, Rosa Dixon, Whitney Finster, Mary Hyde, Kumar Jensen, Michaela McCuddy, Katy McEvoy, Nathan Moore, Sarah Reed, Jesse Rothman, Mori Rothman, India Scarver, Erin Silvert-Noftle, Christopher Thomas, Alex Visbal and Madalyn Welsh.

Academic Letter Awards were given to ninth grade students Dylan Amlin, Eric Fang, Belle-Pilar Fleming, Marlee Layh, John Michael Malone and Ryan Phillips; tenth grade students Erik Bean, Olivia Chen, Ryder Comstock, Luke Eastman, Max Fleishman, Leslie Holland, Laura Hyde, Crystal Reedy, Zane Reichert, Amelia Shaw, Claire Triplet and Rachel Trumbull; eleventh grade students Kyle Buchwalder, Max Buchwalder, Danielle Doubt, Meg Hild, Megan Kaplon, Zac Katz-Stein, Peter Keahey, Andrew Stratton and Ellen Swisher; and twelfth grade students Carly Bailey, Toby Cromer, Rosa Dixon, Nathan Moore, Sarah Reed, Erin Silvert-Noftle and Alex Visbal.

The following members of the Test of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) were honored for their participation: Team A, Carly Bailey, Toby Cromer, Rosa Dixon, Mary Hyde, Zac Katz-Stein, Sarah Reed, Ben VanCleave and Alex Visbal; Team B, Max Buchwalder, Kyle Buchwalder, Olivia Chen, Emile Fleming, Megan Kaplon, Lauren Miles, Andy Peters and Drew Stratton.

Recipients of the 2007 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards were also recognized. For the Regional Contest Winners in photography, Katy McEvoy and Erin Silvert-Noftle received gold portfolios, Sonny Thomas received a gold award, and Liz Zaff received a silver award. For the Regional Contest Winners in film and video, Andy Sontag received a gold award, and Brandon Carver-Halley and Abeo Miller each received silver awards.

For the National Writing Awards in film and video, Andy Sontag received a silver award. For the Ohio Governors’ Youth Art Exhibition regional competition, awards in photography went to Simon Freeman, Justin Mangan, Katy McEvoy, Erin Silvert-Noftle, Andy Sontag and Liz Zaff and awards in film and video went to Erik Bean and Zane Reichert. Erin Silvert-Noftle won a photography award in the state competition.

Whitney Finster was elected as Peacemaker of the Year for the National Conference for Community and Justice. Alex Visbal and Carly Bailey both won State Farm Scholar Athlete awards. The Ohio High School Athletic Association Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Awards went to Eduardo Gallifa and Carly Bailey.

Kyle Buchwalder won both the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award and the Rensselaer Ploytechnic Institute Award. Buchwalder was also awarded, along with Megan Kaplon, the Wendy’s High School Heisman Scholarship Athletic Award.

For the Greene County Career Center Awards, Niquelle Orr was recognized for four separate honors, including the Miss Cheerleader of America, the Senior Teacher Prep Academy Honor Chapter Award, first place in impromptu speaking, and the Technical Award of Merit, which was also awarded to Career Center student Alisha Walker. The $500 Howard Kahoe/Dud Scott awards were given to Britney Pitts and Alisha Walker.

The students won a long list of scholarships and grants to use to further their education. The YSHS Metro Buckeye Scholarship went to Carly Bailey, and the $500 Greene County Youth Activity Fund Scholarship was awarded to Niquelle Orr. Whitney Finster and Alisha Lucas each won $250 Planting Peace Scholarships.

The Shirley Mullins Endowment Fund scholarship went to Whitney Finster, Rosa Dixon, Meg Hild and Victor McElroy. The Yellow Springs Art Council Student Art Award went to Katy McEvoy. Yellow Springs Theatre Awards went to Rosa Dixon and Simon Freeman.

The $500 Martha Dell Cadow Memorial Athletic Endowment Scholarship was awarded to Alisha Lucas. The Tecumseh Land Trust Essay Contest Scholarship went to Rosa Dixon, while Niquelle Orr won the $500 YSEA Scholarship.

For the Mary Jane Bachtell Award for Creative Writing Scholarships, senior Alex Visbal received the $600 scholarship, while honorable mention was given to seniors Andy Sontag and Nathan Moore, junior Lara Donnelly, and junior honorable mention was given to Mische Lite.

The $1,000 John McConville Memorial Scholarship went to Sarah Reed. An anonymous $1,000 scholarship in the memory of Arla Smith went to Carly Bailey.

From the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Yellow Springs Lodge #279 with the Friendship Rebekah Lodge #873, $650 scholarships went to Simon Freeman, Whitney Finster, Olivia Dixon and Niquelle Orr, and stipends of $150 went to Sarah Reed, Rosa Dixon and Michaela McCuddy.

The $1,000 Yellow Springs Men’s Group James A. McKee Scholarships went to Niquelle Orr and Andy Sontag. The $2,000 Bent Scholarship was awarded to Michaela McCuddy. The $4,900 Foos Scholarship went to Alex Visbal.

Erin Silvert-Noftle received the YSI Incorporated Scholarship for $10,000, or $2,500 per year for four years.