More than $30,000 in local scholarships were handed out during the May 20 Senior Academic Awards Ceremony held in the Performing Arts Center at Oxford High School.
‘Obviously (awards and scholarships) are academically-based, but around that is so much talent,? said OHS Principal Todd Dunckley. ‘With as talented as those kids are, I think there are probably more scholarships out there that they deserve and could get, but I am really pleased by the amount of local ones that came through.?
Department Awards
Kicking off the night was the department awards. Students were selected a vote of the teachers in each department.
Physical Education: Kendall Rowley and Colin Sroka. Mathematics: Tyler Scott and Jeff Zhang. Science: Lewis Marshall and Alex Schlueter. English Language Arts: Stephanie White, Megan Carson and Danielle Black. Social Studies: Kati Flanagan and Kristen Godwin. World Language Natalie Mason, Chinese Lewis Marshall and Gabriel Paese, Spanish. Band: Michael Johnson and Kimberley Matsumoto. Orchestra:? James Stanbury. Automotive Technology: Mike Smith and Alan LaBarge. Career Technical Education: Hannah Ex?(she was also Oakland Schools Technical Campus Student of the Year), Aaron Roberts-Johnston, engineering and James Beaupied, graphics/Information Technology and last but not least, Broadcasting/Video Production:? Ryan Myers and Maryann Stockard.
International Baccalureate Recognition
Speaking about the IB Cohort students was teacher Jason Eldridge, who described them as a ‘special group.?
‘These guys have done something that no Oxford graduates have ever done, they completed the IB Diploma programming, which is a new thing for the school,? explained Eldridge. ‘This is a group of risk-takers who have really put it on the line and really given everything they have to be apart of this program.?
Each of the students had taken six of the IB classes.
‘For the last two years, these students have been apart of something special. They worked extremely hard and we really want to show them our appreciation of being the first class to take the risk,? Eldridge continued. ‘They were pushed to the limit at times, but we all know they are much better off for their future education.?
The students included Jason Anderson, Kaitlyn Barber, Jaclyn Duronio, Jenna Duronio, Jessica Duronio, Abigail Hornung, Erica Krol, Lewis Marshall, Matthew Reed, Laura Schimmel, Edwin Schlickenmeyer, Claire Thayer, Erica Vandecar, Elizabeth Schonfeld, Liam Bauer, Rolland Giberson, Rachel Tiska and Keegan Walker.
Of those 18 students, Anderson, Barber, Jaclyn Duronio, Jenna Duronio, Jessica Duronio, Hornung, Krol, Marshall, Reed, Schimmel, Schlickenmeyer, Thayer, Vandecar, and Schonfeld, are IB Diploma Candidates.
‘In addition to IB coursework, students who pursue the IB Diploma, are also required to write a 4,000 word essay, complete over 150 hours of community service in creativity and action and prepare and write a paper and presentation on Theory of Knowledge of the course,? Eldridge said. ‘Then by the time they’re done, they will have taken up to 16 examination papers in the course of three weeks.?
Military Awards
OHS Assistant Principal Kurt Nuss stood in for United State Army Sgt. Marcus Lawrence who wasn’t able to make it and handed out the Scholar Athlete Awards to Kristen Godwin and Alexander Schlueter. Staff Sgt. Christopher Wiley, of the United States Marine Corps, handed out Distinguished Athlete Awards to Wesley Maskill and Samantha Medici, and Semper Fidelis Music Awards to Zachary Woloszyk and Katelyn Vantine.
Local Scholarship Awards
There were 17 organizations that handed out local scholarships.
The first was from Helen Smith and Commander Jerry Daniels for the American Legion Post 108. They awarded two $500 scholarships to Lewis Marshall and Alyssa Ford. Kristen Godwin received $500 from American Legion Auxiliary Unit 108 and Sommer Desotell got $500 from American Legion Riders Post 108. Oxford AMVETS Post 108 handed out two $500 scholarships to Adam Kemp and Wesley Maskill.
Caitlyn Ulinski received $500 from Dave Fulton Soccer (Orion/Oxford Soccer League), meanwhile Tyler Scott was given $684 from the Oxford Elementary Alumni Scholarship.
Elise Ormiston received $1,000 from the James ‘Jamie? Charles Memorial and $1,000 was given to Juliya Thronson from Joseph P. McMahon/ McDonald’s Oxford Scholarship Award. Lakes Community Credit Union awarded Titus Shumaker with a $500 scholarship while Elizabeth Schonfeld and Tyler Scott both received scholarships from the Oxford Lions Club.
The North Oakland Chapter of retired $1,500 scholarship. Maskill also received a $1,000 scholarship from the Oxford Women’s Club, along with Emily Cleland, Lewis Marshall, Shelby Gulda, Adam Kemp, Juliya Thronson, Kristen Godwin, Megan Kerin, Titus Shumaker, Tyler Scott, Victoria Bearse and Zeb Throne. The Oxford Rotary Club gave $1,000 scholarships to Mackenzie Crosson, Lewis Marshall and Zebadiah Throne.
Tommi Fillion/Kiwanis Club Service scholarships of $1,000 each were awarded to Hannah Ex and Laura Schimmel.
W.K. Kellog Youth Advisory Committee Scholarship ? Four County Community Foundation gave Alyssa Ford and Zeb Throne $1,000 scholarships and an $850 scholarship to Mackenzie Crosson. The Ray Sutherland Award gave Jacob Schenten and Kristen Godwin $400 scholarships each. Oxford Junior Wildcat Scholarship – Cheerleading & Football presented Tasha Corcoran and Kyle Reason each with $500 scholarships. Christina Chizmadia was given $1,000 from Pioneer Mutual Insurance Company and Alyssa Ford was presented with $1,500 from the Lapeer County Community Foundation Ross P. Broesamle Scholarship.