The Gilpin County School District hosted the Senior Scholarship Awards Ceremony in the school auditorium on May 12, 2021. Scholarship recipients and their plans are listed below this article.

Counselor Kim Cobb introduced the ceremony and thanked everyone for coming. She said the Class of 2021 has a 100 percent graduation rate. The class had a lot of struggles but have made it together.

High School Principal Alexis Donaldson introduced the honor roll for awards that do not have any money attached but mean a lot. Mary McGee introduced the Mountain Rendezvous Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) award for the 2021 Good Citizen’s scholarship. Applicants for the scholarship must write a two-hour essay without Google or the internet.

Donaldson and Cobb introduced the 24 recipients of the $6,000 City of Black Hawk Scholarship. Ryan and Hannah Raynes presented the Gilpin County Theatre Art Scholarship and said this is the fourth annual integrated annual scholarship, which requires three years of technical acting and an essay on how it impacted their lives.

Cobb presented the Teryx Scholarship for $1,000 with the statement: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.” Michelle Hernandez presented the Gilpin Booster Club Scholarships of $500 each, one for academics and two for athletics.

Barbara Thielmann presented the Peak to Peak Rotary Scholarship. This is the 21st year of the scholarship. She also presented the Thielmann Family Teacher Scholarship.

Thielmann said she was a teacher in Ohio for 39 years and has worked as a substitute in Gilpin County. This scholarship is in honor of her children and grandchildren.

Central City Mayor Pro-Tem Judy Laratta presented the Central City Promise Program scholarship to one recipient. The Gilpin County Education Foundation scholarship was awarded to four students this year. It has provided more than 25 years of support for students from fifth grade to technology in the classroom.

Gilpin County Sheriff Kevin Armstrong presented the County Sheriffs of Colorado Scholarship. He said this is the first one of these awards, and $500 awards have been given to 64 counties, and training is very important.

Armstrong also presented the Alan Green Memorial Foundation Scholarship. Alan Green attended Colorado State University and was a wildlife manager. On May 25, 1979, he was killed in an airplane accident.

Green valued education. In 1984, The Foundation was established and has given more than $1 million in scholarships. Applicants can go to a four-year or two-year school.

The seniors then had the capping ceremony, for which each senior came to the podium and chose someone to place their graduation cap on their head. The seniors chose mothers, fathers and brothers for the capping.

Principal Donaldson closed the ceremony with a slide show about all of the accomplishments of the Class of 2021.

Awards & Scholarships

Rayvaughn Amaya-Beard Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 He will be joining the workforce and plans on attending North Texas Community College in the future to study Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement

Jasmine Arends Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Gilpin Athletic Boosters $500 Teryx Scholarship $1000 Peak to Peak Rotary $1000 Alan Green Memorial $2500 Regis University Scholarship $40,000 Total: $51,000 Attending: Regis University Major: Nursing

Olivia Ball Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Gilpin Athletic Boosters $500 Total: $6500 Attending: Red Rocks Community College and has interest in pursuing the field of Sports Medicine.

Blake Boulter Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Alan Green Memorial $2,500 City of Central Promise Scholarship $5,000 Colorado School of Mines Presidential Scholarship $10,000 Mines Medal of Achievement in Math and Science $1,000 Daniels Fund Scholar $100,000 Total $124,500 Attending: Colorado School of Mines Major: Chemical Engineering

Tristin Braning Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Thielemann Family Educator Scholarship $1000

CU Denver Scholarships $10,000 Total $17,000 Tristin will continue to work at doggy daycare and will be attending CU Denver in the fall. Major: English to become a teacher

Robert Castillo Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Will take a gap year and join the workforce, then plans on attending community college to study criminal justice

Julian Cortez Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 He will be taking a gap year and working with his dad.

Triston DiPasquale Scholarship: City of Black Hawk $6000 Plan: Plans on starting a business in wholesale real estate

Emma Hanssen Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Attending: Ft. Lewis College Major: Business

Warren Hardman Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Gilpin Theatre Scholarship $500 AMDA $6000 Total: $12,500 Attending: American Musical Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles Major: Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting

Noah Hockley Scholarship: City of Black Hawk $6000 He is currently in the workforce and has an interest in health and wellness, and becoming a personal trainer.

Drake Hylton Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Drake plans on attending CU Boulder and majoring in Aerospace Engineering

Stephen King Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Alan Green Memorial Foundation $2500 Gilpin County Education Foundation $1000 School of Mines President’s Scholarship $12,000 Colorado Scholars Scholarship for Last $ tuition $76,248 Total: $97,748 Overall Total of Scholarships the next 4 Years: $463,048 Attending: Colorado School of Mines Major: Chemical Engineering

Samuel Kniffen Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Sam plans on taking a gap year during which he will pursue his dream of writing and recording original music.

Dallas LeBeau Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 He plans on taking a gap year to work and figure out his next chapter in life.

Nolan Lindberg Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Booster’s Academic $500 United Power Scholarship $1000 County Sheriffs of Colorado $500 Gilpin County Education Foundation $1000 CU Boulder Scholarship $11,200 Total: $20,200 Attending: CU Boulder Major: Biochemistry

Ryan Newberg Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Plans on taking a gap year to travel in the U.S.

Archer O’Brien Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 TeamWorks Scholarship $1000 Total: $7000 Archer plans on working at TeamWorks and pursuing opportunities to work in technical theatre

Jon Rust Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Plans on joining the workforce and would like to play baseball.

Jaden Schott Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Plans on taking a gap year, joining the workforce, and continue to work on writing his book, Winter’s Tears.

Damian Sonsino Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 DAR Scholarship $600 Outstanding CO Student $4000 Regent Scholarship $1000 CU Esteemed Scholars $14,000 Gilpin County Education Foundation $1000 Total: $26,600 Attending: CU Boulder Major: Biochemistry

Katelyn Stanton Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 Will be taking a Gap Year, then attending community college to major in business or nursing

Casey Usnick Scholarship: City of Black Hawk $6000 Casey will join the workforce and attend welding school.

Shane Wu Scholarships: City of Black Hawk $6000 CU Boulder Esteemed Scholar $10,000 Total: $16,000 Overall Total of Scholarships the next 4 Years: $386,800 Attending: CU Boulder Major: Undecided