Date: June 6, 2006 NSAA
Contact: Jim Angele
Hold Until 9 p.m. Phone:
402-489-0386
Nebraska School Activities Association,
U.S. Bank Award
Believers & Achievers Scholarships
·
Believers &
Achievers Banquet Held at Lincoln Cornhusker Hotel
Believers & Achievers, the state-wide program designed
by U.S. Bank and the Nebraska School Activities Association to give recognition
to Nebraska’s future leaders, held its seventh annual scholarship banquet on
June 6 at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln. The festivities highlighted the
nine-month process that began last October when the first Believers &
Achievers were announced.
·
Nine Selected from 48
Finalists
From the 48 finalists named Believers & Achievers, nine received
$500 scholarships from U.S. Bank to the college or university of their choice.
The nine scholarships were presented to the Believers & Achievers who
demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, participated in NSAA activities
and were involved in school and community projects during their high school
career.
·
Believers &
Achievers Scholarship Winners
The NSAA and U.S. Bank are proud to recognize the accomplishments of
nine Believers & Achievers. U.S. Bank representatives Mick McKinley and
Peggy Lemon presented $500 scholarships to Abby Baumert, Howells; Jacob
Behrends, Johnson-Brock; Tara Beverridge, Paxton; Karalynn Brown,
Gretna; Meghan Kissel, Omaha Westside; Thomas Lesiak, Fremont;
Joshua Pohlmann, Deshler; Katie Rockwell, Elkhorn; and Kortany
Schultz, Scottsbluff. A brief biography of each scholarship winner is
listed below.
2005-06 Believers &
Achievers Scholarship Winners
Abby
Baumert
Howells
High School
Grade Point Average: 3.85 (On a 4.0 Scale)
NSAA
Activity Participation: Volleyball, Basketball, Track & Field, Play Production,
Speech, Music.
Activity
Honors and Awards:
Honorable Mention All-State Volleyball; Placed Fourth in the 400-Meter Dash and
300-Meter Low Hurdles at the 2006 Class C State Track & Field
Championships; Placed Fourth in the 300-Meter Hurdles at the 2005 Class C State
Track & Field Championships; Gold Medal Winner in the 400-Meter Relay and
Sixth-Place Medal Winner in the High Jump at the 2004 Class C State Track &
Field Championships; 2005 State Speech Qualifier in Drama; First-Team
All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-State Volleyball.
School
Involvement:
Member of Dance Team, Yearbook Staff, and Family Career and Community Leaders
of America; Spirit Club Vice President, Student Council Secretary; National
Honor Society President.
Community
Involvement:
Youth Basketball Coach; American Red Cross, Adopt-a-Highway and
Adopt-a-Grandparent Volunteer; 4-H Participant; Member of Church Choir and
Howells Women’s Club; Lifeguard and Swimming Instructor.
College/University Planning to Attend: University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Jacob
Behrends
Johnson-Brock
High School
Grade
Point Average:
3.98 (On a 4.0 Scale)
NSAA
Activity Participation: Football, Basketball, Track & Field, Music.
Activity
Honors and Awards:
Member of Johnson-Brock’s 2005 Class D1 State Football Playoff Qualifying Team;
All-State Football; Academic All-State Football, Basketball, and Track &
Field; Honorable Mention All-State Football; Two-Time Class D All-State Honor
Band Selection; Earned Superior Ratings in Band and Chorus at the District
Music Contests; All-Conference Honor Choir Selection.
School
Involvement:
Member of School Improvement Team, Math Team, Quiz Bowl Team, OPPD Power Drive
Team, and Who’s Who Among American High School Students; National Honor Society
Secretary; Future Business Leaders of America Vice President; Student Council
President; Senior Class President; Peer Mentor.
Community
Involvement:
Cornhusker Boys’ State Representative; Youth Baseball Coach; Youth Baseball and
Softball Umpire; Youth Basketball and Football Official; Taps Player; 4-H Vice
President and Junior Leader; Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross Bloodmobile, MADD
and March of Dimes Volunteer; Member of Church Youth Group; Youth Baseball and
Softball Umpire.
College/University Planning to Attend: Midland Lutheran College.
Tara
Beveridge
Paxton
High School
Grade Point Average:
3.89 (On a 4.0 Scale)
NSAA
Activity Participation: Volleyball, Basketball, Speech, Play Production, Music.
Activity
Honors and Awards:
Member of Paxton’s 2002, 2003, and 2004 State Volleyball Championship Teams;
Honorable Mention All-State Volleyball and Basketball; Member of Paxton’s 2003
Class D2 Girls State Basketball Championship Team; Academic All-State
Volleyball and Basketball; Earned Superior Ratings in Band and Chorus at the
District Music Contests.
School
Involvement:
National Honor Society Secretary; Future Business Leaders of America Treasurer;
Letter Club Vice President; Member of Future Problem Solvers, Fellowship of
Christian Athletes, Student Council, Quiz Bowl Team, and Who’s Who Among
American High School Students; Tiger Pals Reading Mentoring Program
Participant.
Community Involvement: Member of Church Youth Group, Junior
American Legion, Keith County Leadership (LEAD) and 4-H; Vacation Bible School,
Lincoln Connection, Keep Keith County Beautiful Committee, and Paxton Optimist
Club Youth Volleyball Tournament Volunteer; Congressional Student Leadership
Participant; Lifeguard and Swimming Instructor’s Aide; Tri-County Youth Umpire.
College/University Planning to Attend: University of Nebraska-Kearney.
Karalynn
Brown
Gretna
High School
Grade Point Average:
4.0 (On a 4.0 Scale)
NSAA
Activity Participation: Volleyball, Soccer, Speech, Journalism.
Activity Honors and Awards: Academic All-State Volleyball; Placed
Third in Informative Speaking and Fifth in Persuasive Speaking at the 2006
Class B State Speech Championships; Placed Fifth in Persuasive Speaking for
Gretna’s 2005 Class B State Speech Championship Team; Newspaper
Editor-in-Chief; Placed Third in News Feature Writing at the 2006 Class B State
Journalism Championships; Member of Gretna’s 2005 Class B State Soccer
Championship Semifinal and 2004 State Soccer Championship Qualifying Teams;
2002 State Play Production Technical Crew Member.
School
Involvement:
Member of National Honor Society, Who’s Who Among American High School
Students, Quiz Bowl Team, G-Club, and Future Business Leaders of America; ESPN
Radio Gretna High School Football Reporter.
Community
Involvement:
Nebraska Girls’ State Representative; Co-Founder of Open Eyes Metro Teen Forum;
Anytown Diversity Summer Camp Participant; Nebraska Humane Society and Just
Friends Volunteer; Member of Church Youth Group and National Gathering
Participant.
College/University Planning to Attend: University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Meghan
Kissel
Omaha
Westside High School
Grade
Point Average:
3.93 (On a 4.0 Scale)
NSAA
Activity Participation: Track & Field, Journalism, Music.
Activity
Honors and Awards:
Track & Field Letterwinner; Placed Fifth in News Feature Writing at the
2005 State Journalism Championships; Earned Excellent Ratings in Feature
Writing at the Journalism Educator’s Association Contest; Placed Second in
Feature Writing at the Nebraska Press Women’s Journalism Contest; Feature
Editor School Newspaper; Earned Superior Ratings in Mixed Chorus at the
District Music Contest; Student Athletic Trainer.
School
Involvement:
Member of National Honor Society; WARRIOR Program Team Leder; Dance Team
Captain and Letterwinner; Mock Trial Captain, Spanish and Medical Club Member;
Peer Tutor.
Community
Involvement:
Dance Instructor; Church Youth Group Member; Representative to the Nebraska
Democratic Party; Vacation Bible School Leader; Outdoor Education Counselor.
College/University Planning to Attend: Doane College.
Thomas Lesiak
Fremont High School
Grade
Point Average:
3.98 (On a 4.0 Scale)
NSAA
Activity Participation: Play Production, Speech, Debate, Music.
Activity
Honors and Awards:
All-State Choir and Chorus Selection; Earned Superior Ratings in Ensembles,
Solos, Orchestra and Choir at the District Music Contests; Member of Fremont’s
2004 Class A State Runner-Up Play Production Cast; Louis Armstrong Jazz Award
Recipient; Received Outstanding Soloist Awards at the Grand Island and Bellevue
East Jazz Festivals.
School
Involvement:
Member of National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and Math Club; Fremont
High School National Anthem Singer and Accompanist; New Student Orientation
Leader.
Community
Involvement:
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Hospital and Public Library Volunteer as a National
Anthem Singer and Musician; Fremont Days Participant; Member of Church Youth
and Bible Study Groups.
College/University Planning to Attend: Hastings College.
Joshua
Pohlmann
Deshler
High School
Grade
Point Average:
4.0 (On a 4.0 Scale)
NSAA
Activity Participation: Football, Track & Field, Play Production, Speech,
Music.
Activity
Honors and Awards:
All-State Choir and Selection; Earned Superior Ratings in Nine Events at the
District Music Contests; 2005 Boys State Basketball National Anthem Singer;
2005 Class C All-State Jazz Band and 2004 Class C All-State Wind Ensemble;
Silver Medalist in Drama at the 2004 and 2005 Class C2 State Speech
Championships; Placed Fifth in Drama and Sixth in Humorous Prose at the 2003
Class C2 State Speech Championships; Member of Three State Play Production
Championship Qualifying Casts; Football and Track & Field Letterwinner;
Member of Deshler’s 2002 State Football Playoff Qualifying Team.
School
Involvement:
Senior Class President; Member of National Honor Society, D Club and Who’s Who
Among American High School Students; Summer Reading Program Volunteer;
Elementary School Trombone Instructor.
Community
Involvement:
Congressional Student Leadership Conference, 4-H and Church Youth Group
Participant; 2003 and 2004 Deshler Community Tornado Clean-up, Adopt-A-Highway,
and Relay For Life Volunteer; Bible School Teacher; Church Choir and Band
Member.
College/University Planning to Attend: Doane College.
Katie
Rockwell
Elkhorn
High School
Grade
Point Average:
4.0 (On a 4.0 Scale)
NSAA
Activity Participation: Cross Country, Basketball, Soccer, Music.
Activity
Honors and Awards:
Academic All-State Cross Country and Soccer; Three-Time Class B State Cross
Country Championship Qualifier; Academic All-Conference Basketball; Member of
Elkhorn’s 2004 Class B State Runner-up and 2005 and 2006 Class B State Soccer
Championship Qualifying Teams; Soccer Team Captain; All-Conference Soccer;
Cross Country, Basketball, and Soccer Letterwinner.
School
Involvement:
Junior Class Secretary; Member of Student Council, Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Olympus Club, Foreign
Language Club, and Pep Club; Teacher’s Aide; Friends Mentor; Senior Class Vice
President.
Community
Involvement: Youth
Track & Field Volunteer; Youth Basketball Camp Coach; Friends Mentoring
Program Participant; Bible Study Leader and Participant; Elkhorn Common Ground,
Bethlage Special Needs Home and Neighborhood Clean-up Volunteer.
College/University Planning to Attend: University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Kortany Schultz
Scottsbluff High School
Grade
Point Average:
4.0 (On a 4.0 Scale)
NSAA
Activity Participation: Soccer, Play Production, Speech, Debate, Journalism, Music.
Activity
Honors and Awards:
Academic All-State Soccer; Three-Year Soccer Letterwinner; Member of
Scottsbluff’s 2004 Class B Girls State Soccer Championship Qualifying Team;
Placed Third in Duet Acting at the 2005 Class A State Speech Championships;
2006 Class A State Speech Champion in Duet Acting; Placed Fourth in Drama at
the 2006 Class A State Speech Championships; Placed First in In-Depth News at
the Nebraska Press Association Championships; All-State Choir Selection; Earned
Superior Rating at the District Music Contest.
School
Involvement:
Member of National Honor Society, Who’s Who Among American High School
Students, German Club, NIKE, DECA, S-Club, Key Club, and Student Council; Mock
Trial Team Co-Captain; Peer Tutor.
Community
Involvement:
Club 20/20 Volunteer Staff Member and Mentor; Member of Aqueducts Youth
Leadership Team, Jobs’ Daughters, Church Youth Group, Teen Worship Music Group,
and Young Women Making A Difference; MBC Trinidad and Dominican Republic
Mission Trip Participant; Lifeguard; Youth Soccer Coach.
College/University
Planning to Attend: Chadron
State College.
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Additional Banquet
Highlights
In addition to the scholarship presentations, the Believers &
Achievers Banquet featured the talent of Kelsey Watts, Ansley. Watts, a
pianist, performed Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin. Blake Mosel, Plainview,
also performed his 2006 Class C2 state championship-winning entertainment
speech, “Moze Mowing.”
·
Other Believers and
Achievers Recognized
The other Believers & Achievers honored throughout the
course of the 2005-06 school year were also recognized at the banquet. Their
names and high schools are listed below.
Betsy Anderjaska, Wauneta-Palisade
MaryLou
Andrews, Aurora
Anthony
Bates, Wilber-Clatonia
Kelsey Berlin, Columbus
Erica Bjornstad, North
Platte St. Patrick's
John Blecha, Gothenburg
Aaron Brandt, Bishop
Neumann
Adrianna
Choquette, Minden
Emily Christen, Anselmo-Merna
Dane Christensen, Central
City
Julie Coddington, Fillmore
Central
Kelly Dineen, Omaha
Duchesne Academy
Andrew Gall, Norfolk Catholic
Heidi Gengenbach, Blair
John Guynan, Schuyler
Jared Hanson, Broken Bow
Heath Kruger, Grand
Island
Sarah Lang, Omaha Mercy
Jared Loschen, Kearney
Austin Lucht, Ainsworth
Ashley McDonald, Centura
Jonathan
Meyer, Omaha Creighton Prep
Jeffrey
Mihulka, Shelby
Rebecca
Moderow, Oakland-Craig
Blake Mosel, Plainview
Bridget
Murphy, Omaha
North
Jessica
Murphy, Stuart
Emmylou
O'Brien, Ord
Nathan Pribnow, Scribner-Snyder
Adam Rasmussen, Mead
CJ Ronhovde, Elmwood-Murdock
Emily Ruskamp, Dodge
McKinzie
Schmidt, Gordon/Rushville
Brad Smith, Holdrege
Heather
Spain, Valentine
Shane Straka, Lexington
Christopher
Tegtmeier, Fairbury
Kelsey Watts, Ansley
Annie Woodruff, Omaha
Marian