Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  On Wednesday, May 18, the Nederland Middle Senior High School graduating seniors were presented with academic awards and scholarships for their educational efforts. Each year, the Nederland Lions Club hosts the Senior Recognition Night, in which the students receive awards, door gifts, and praise for their accomplishments. Principal Adam Fels thanked the Lions Club and then told the graduates that not everyone receives an award, “just because.”

“The students worked hard for the honors they are receiving. These awards have meaning.”

The first Academic Honors Awards went to seniors who earned a 3.2-3.9 in the first semester of their senior year. They include: Layla Theriot, Anastasia Snelling, Emily Rumer, Hanna Woods, Niko Navas, Mary Farris, Susma Gurung, ShyAnn Hartman, Quin Kuechenmeister, Natalia Kinczel, Nichola Delahunt, Nicole Silva, Breannon Witte and Ripley Duke.

Students on the Distinguished Honor Roll earned a 4.0 or higher. These students are: Hunter Mayhew, Katie Jewell, Savannah Ames, Jessica Gloe, Kieran Haffey, Madison Otten and Anna Roszell.

Students who graduated with honors receive sashes to wear with their caps and gowns during the commencement ceremony. Layla Theriot received a Cum Laude white sash for her GPA of 3.9 - 4.199; Magna Cum Laude students with a GPS of 4.2 - 4.449 received a blue sash. They included: Stazi Snelling, Anna Roszell, Katie Jewell and Jessica Gloe. The Gold Sash recipient, Hunter Mayhew, had a 4.5 GPA or higher.

The Peak to Peak Rotary/Excellence in Arts Scholarship Awards were presented by Nederland representative, Jim Elder.  Katie Jewell, Ripley Duke, Savannah Ames, and Maeve Anderson each received $1,000 for their work in band, orchestra, and art.

United Power presented a $1000 Mountain Book Scholarship Award to Jessica Gloe.

Kristin Nielson, of the Boulder Valley Education Association, presented Savannah Ames with a $1000 scholarship. The award is presented each year to a student who plans to pursue a career in education.

The Boulder Community Hospital Ambassadors Award of $1,500 was presented to Katie Jewell and Savannah Ames for pursuing work in the health care profession.

The Health Occupations Education Student Organization, called HOSA, of Colorado, presented Emily Rumor with a $500 scholarship for her leadership in the organization.

The Boulder Valley Rotary Club Scholarship of $2,000 went to Quin Kuechenmeister. This organization only awards 2 - 3 scholarships a year.

The Community Financial Credit Union of Boulder awarded a $500 scholarship to Jessica Gloe.

The Colorado Triple Impact Scholarship of $1,000 went to Quin Kuechenmeister. The award is from the Positive Coaching Alliance which believes “Better Athletes, Bette People.”

The Alan Greene Memorial Foundation presented Emily Rumor with a $2,000 Scholarship. A Nederland senior student who lives in Gilpin County is chosen every year.

The After-Prom Scholarship of $750 was presented by Laurie Roberts to Jessica Gloe.

A Lions Club Scholarship of $2,000 was presented to Stazie Snelling and a Lions Club Scholarship of $1,000 to Katie Jewell.

All of the graduating seniors will receive a subscription to the Mountain-Ear Newspaper for one year, to keep them up to date on what’s happening in their hometown.

What they are doing:

Savannah Ames will attend Front Range, studying speech and language; Maeve Anderson will attend IBM College; Nick Delahunt is going into law enforcement and music; Ripley Duke is studying nursing at UNC; Mary Farris is studying physiology at CU; Jessica Gloe is going to study molecular biology at the University of Washington; Kieran Haffey is attending the CU College of Arts and Science; ShyAnn Hartman is going to become an EMT at Red Rocks; Adaronda Jacoby will attend the University of Wyoming;  Katie Jewell is studying physiology at CU; Layton Kasch is joining the United States Marine Corp; Natalia Kinczel will attend Appalachian State in North Carolina; Quin Kuechenmeister is going to study business administration and pre-health at CSU; Sophia Lindenberger will study French and pre vet at CSU; Hunter Mayhew will study math and biology at Trinity University; Brianna Mendez is going to study dental hygiene at Denver Community College; Tobiah Nagle is going to study biology at the University of East Carolina; Anna Roszell will study physiology at CU; Emily Rumer will study at Nebraska Methodist College; Stazie Snelling is attending Washington State University for environmental studies; Layla Theriot is attending CSU in English studies; Hanna Woods will study visual performing arts at CU-Colorado Springs.

Principal Adam Fels closed the ceremony by saying how talented these graduates are and how lucky we are to know them.