On May 22, the Gilpin County High School seniors began a special celebration with a relaxed dinner at 6 p.m. Friends, families, and staff gathered to honor the Class of 2024. By 7 p.m., everyone made their way to the auditorium.

For one hour, Gilpin’s graduating class received scholarships from many of the area’s organizations. Announcements began with honor roll students, followed by the first scholarship award, the Shelby Allen Memorial Scholarship, awarded to Jordanna Gagnon and Lynda Icenogle.

From there, 10 more scholarships were awarded. Garet Adler received The Colorado Skills USA Scholarship. The Daughters of the American Revolution Scholarship was given to Jordanna Gagnon.

The City of Black Hawk Scholarships were given to all students who applied. Each student received $8,800. The Gilpin Booster Club honored eight students with $500 scholarships each.

Barbara Hardt, Managing Editor of The Mountain-Ear was among the evening’s presenters, giving Anna Thomason the Barbara Lawlor Memorial Scholarship. Barbara Thielemann presented Sterling O’Sullivan with the Peak to Peak Rotary Scholarship.

Awards and more: After the capping ceremony, Gilpin’s 2024 class poses as a group.[/caption]

Sterling also received the Lady Elks Scholarship that evening. Seven scholarships went to Gilpin High School seniors, presented by the Gilpin County Education Foundation. Five Gilpin County School alumni from various graduating classes (1958 - 1965) joined the celebration.

Sarah Swanson, Class of 1961, presented the very first Maxine Gray Science Award to Lynda Icenogle. Gilpin County Sheriff Kevin Armstrong presented the Alan Green Memorial Foundation Scholarships with two $4,000 scholarships to Skylar Webb and Sterling O’Sullivan.

The largest award of the evening went to Alexa Brandon, winning $60,000 from the Alan Green Memorial Foundation. Seniors lined the walls near the stage for the capping ceremony, where once more, families, friends, and teachers showed their support.

The evening ended after a slideshow of memories from the seniors’ perspectives, during which much nostalgia and joy could be sensed across the auditorium. Congratulations Gilpin County graduating Class of 2024!

 

2024 Senior Scholarships and Plans

Garet Adler

Scholarships:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Colorado SkillsUSA $3000

$11,800

Garet will be attending WYOTech and participating in the welding program.

Aaliyah Amaya-Beard

Scholarships:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Aaliyah will be attending Metro State to pursue her degree in World Languages.

Alexa Brandon

Scholarships:

City of Black Hawk $8800

CSU Green and Gold Scholarship $12,000

Gilpin County Booster Academic Scholarship $500

IZ Bar Leadership Award $60,000

$81,300

Alexa will be attending Colorado State University where she will be studying animal science.

Lili Cope

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Lili plans on attending Red Rocks Community College and is interested in Welding

Dakota Cowles

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Dakota is going to take a Gap Year and continue in the workforce, then he plans on attending a trade school for heavy equipment or another area.

Rayna Durnen

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Rayna will be attending Red Rocks Community College as an ASCENT student and studying Technical Theatre.

Cheyanne Fejarang

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Colorado School of Mines Outstanding Junior Award $1000

Mines Provist Award $4000

$13,800

Cheyanne will be attending Colorado School of Mines to study economics.

Elara Frisch

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Elara plans on attending Trade School to become an electrician

Jordanna Gagnon

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

DAR Scholarship $500

CSU Green and Gold Scholarship $16,000

Shelby Allen Memorial Scholarship $500

Gilpin County Booster Academic Scholarship $500

Gilpin County Education Foundation $2500

$28,000

Jordanna will be attending Colorado State University and is interested in criminology and business

Vincent Garcia

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Vincent plans on taking a Gap Year and continuing to work in Graphic Art. He would then like to attend Art School.

Sophia Guiliano

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

CU Boulder Gold Scholarship $3800

$12,600

Sophia will be attending CU Boulder and majoring in business.

Caleb Hopkins

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Ameristar Scholarship $10,000

$18,800

Caleb will be attending Red Rocks Community College to study business administration and marketing.

Lynda Icenogle

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Mines President’s Award $16,000

Shelby Allen Memorial Scholarship $500

Maxine Gray Science Award $1000

Gilpin County Booster Art Scholarship $500

$26,800

Lynda will be attending Colorado School of Mines to study civil engineering and will be competing on their D2 Cheer Team.

Roland Keller

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Gilpin County Education Foundation $1000

$9800

Roland will be attending CU Boulder in the Exploratory Studies program.

Cadence Lautrup

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Cadence is taking a Gap Year and continuing in the workforce. She may pursue a degree in education in the future.

Christian Lautrup

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Christian hopes to participate in the Timberline Fire Fighter Program.

Dusty LeBeau

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Gilpin County Education Foundation $1500

$10,300

Dusty will be attending CU Boulder to study Integrative Physiology.

Chrislyn Martinez

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Chrislyn plans to take a Gap Year and continue in the workforce. In the future, she wishes to study quantum physics and music.

Jessi McCurry

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Gilpin County Booster Art Scholarship $500

$9300

Jessi is planning on attending Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design to study graphic design and 2-D animation.

Sterling O’Sullivan

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Gilpin County Booster Athletic Scholarship $500

Central City Lady Elks Scholarship $1000

Peak to Peak Rotary Scholarship $1000

Alan Green Memorial Scholarship $4000

$15,300

Sterling will be attending Colorado State University in the Exploratory Studies Program.

Abigail Parton

Scholarships:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Abigail will be joining the workforce and is interested in either working in dispatch or working with the Cheezo group.

Alex Pence

Scholarships:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Alex is going to take a Gap Year then plans on attending a trade school to pursue a career as an electrician.

Brianna Rice-Dietz

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Bri is joining the Navy and is going to study nuclear engineering. The Navy will cover all her educational expenses.

Lloyd Rousseau

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Lloyd will be attending Red Rocks Community College and later transfer to Ft. Lewis. He is going to study graphic art.

Kailee Starkey

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Gilpin County Education Foundation $750

$9550

Kailee will be attending Red Rocks Community College and studying Cosmetology.

Anna Thomason

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

CU Denver Scholarship $4000

Barbara Lawlor Memorial Scholarship $1500

Gilpin County Education Foundation $1500

Gilpin County Booster Art Scholarship $500

$16,300

Anna will be attending CU Denver to study Biochemistry on the pre-med track.

Teddie Vaughan-Tomlinson

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Gilpin County Booster Art Scholarship $500

$9300

Teddie is going to take a Gap Year then plans on attending school in Laramie, Wyoming to study musical performance and zoology.

Connor Vincent

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Connor will be attending Red Rocks Community College to continue to pursue a career as an electrician.

Lincoln Vincent

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Lincoln will be attending Red Rocks Community College to continue his studies in sound technology.

Skylar Webb

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Alan Green Memorial Scholarship $4000

Gilpin County Education Foundation $750

$13,550

Skylar will be attending Colorado State University to study marketing.

Cheyenne Weger

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Cheyenne will be attending the Bridge to Bachelors program at Red Rocks Community College as an ASCENT student and is studying computer engineering. She plans on transferring to Colorado State University.

Lane Willis

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Gilpin County Booster Art Scholarship $500

$9300

Lane plans on attending Park City Culinary Institute to pursue a career in the culinary arts.

Russell Wood

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Gilpin County Education Foundation $1000

$9300

Russell will be attending Red Rocks Community College in general studies.

Ben Zeckser

Scholarship:

City of Black Hawk $8800

Ben is going to take a Gap Year to travel, then plans on attending a trade school to become an electrician.