School winners
Published 3:32 pm Friday, April 24, 2009
State honors
Everett Community College students Kelsey Musgrove, 17, of Stanwood and Nina Nikolova, 20, of Marysville were recently honored by Gov. Christine Gregoire for becoming members of the Washington All-Academic Team.
The two are among 62 team members at the state’s 34 community and technical colleges. The award honors outstanding students who have a demonstrated commitment to success in the classroom and in the communities where they live.
Both Musgrove and Nikolova will receive a $750 scholarship funded by the Northwest Education Loan Association and KeyBank. They are also eligible for additional scholarships at Washington colleges and universities.
Musgrove is biochemistry major with a 3.9 grade point average who plans to attend medical school.
Nikolova is a business administration major at EvCC, earning a 3.93 GPA while holding three part-time jobs to help pay for her education.
Tenure granted
Everett Community College’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously in March to grant tenure to six EvCC faculty members.
Tenure was granted to high school completion coordinator Nina Benedetti, art instructor Linda Berkley, economics instructor Dongwa Hu, nursing instructor Lisa Miller, chemistry instructor Steven Powell and physics instructor Kristine Washburn.
Student of the month
Sydney Denessen is Snohomish’s Glacier Peak Herald Student of the Month for April.
Sydney is in 11th grade and is a class senator, National Art Honor Society officer, Grizzly Cub pal and an exceptional student.
She organizes an annual Easter Egg Hunt for neighborhood children and is an excellent baby-sitter. Her GPA is 3.79, and she hopes to go to college and pursue a degree in art.
Education award
The Granite Falls School District has announced its third-quarter Success in Education award winners. Student winners Jeffrey Lozensky, Amanda Cook, Katrina Jensen, Kaitlin Walton, Thomas Eadie, Erik Ford and Justine Hagan were recognized at the March School Board meeting.
Success in Education Awards are presented to students who show an understanding of the importance of education and provide service to other students, staff members or the community.
PLU Dean’s List
At Pacific Lutheran University, more than 850 students were named to the Dean’s List for fall 2008. The list recognizes outstanding academic achievement, as it requires a grade point average of at least 3.5 for the term.
Honorees included Kaitlynn Retherford of Granite Falls, the daughter of Larry and Vicki Retherford.
Retherford is a residence hall counsel programmer and homecoming ambassador at PLU. She is 2007 graduate of Grace Academy in Marysville and is pursuing degrees in business and history.
Apple awards
The following Lake Stevens School District employees were selected by their peers for the 2009 Apple Awards. They were recognized for creating a positive, caring and productive school environment through exceptional effort, dedication or performance in their areas of responsibility: Leslie Poirier, physical education, health teacher and student body adviser at Cavelero Mid High; Bree Brotnov, music specialist at Skyline Elementary; Sharon Mohney, para-educator at Sunnycrest Elementary; Aurora Everhart, second-grade teacher at Hillcrest Elementary; and Leena Golchin, para-educator at Cavelero Mid High.
WIAA honor
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association honored Everett Public Schools’ interim superintendent, Karst Brandsma, with the Gareth Giles Memorial Recognition Award. The honor, given annually, recognizes school leaders who exemplify the characteristics of Gareth Giles, a highly-respected Washington school administrator who advocated tirelessly on behalf of student involvement in activities and athletics.
Brandsma began his career in teaching and coaching, and soon became the athletic and activities director at Peninsula High School. He later became the district athletic director for Tacoma Public Schools where reinstated middle school sports.
After serving as the deputy superintendent, overseeing district academic programs, Brandsma was chosen by the school board in 2008 as interim superintendent, a position he will hold until June 30.
Christina Harper: 425-339-3491. harper@heraldnet.com.
