Sandpoint Elks pay tribute to region's top scholars
Sandpoint Elks Lodge No. 1376 has announced students of the month for the first part of the school year for the Lake Pend Oreille School District.
To be selected as an Elk’s student of the month, students must meet guidelines for character, citizenship, service, scholarship and leadership.
The Elks actively seek to reward youth through many different programs including scholarship awards, Hoop Shoot tournaments, dictionary donations to third graders, drug awareness programs and many other activities and programs.
Sandpoint Elks Lodge award thousands of dollars in scholarships and local students also received an additional money in state and national Elk scholarships. The Elks are the third largest awarder of scholarships in the county and several students have received large scholarships from the state and national level of Elks.
At Sandpoint High School, students of the month are: Hannah Fingel and Jacob Jackson, September; Amanda Wikoff and Benjamin Schwartz, October; Delaney Search and Charles Crane, November; Lauren Sfeir and Mitch Rust, December; and Cheyenne Nicholson and Tyler Kennedy, January.
At Bonners Ferry High School, students of the month are Kevin Gray, October;
Below are the biographies submitted by the students. Not all biographies have been submitted.
n Jacob Jackson was named a student of the month for September.
The son of Jeanine and Joseph Jackson, he is a senior at Sand-point High School with a 4.24 GPA.
Jacob Jackson plans to pursue a career in computer engineering. During summer vacation Jacob interned for the school district as part of the IT program.
He loves to run with the cross country team and also plays tennis and is the team captain.
n Hannah Fingel was named a student of the month for September.
The daughter of Susan and Andrew Fingel, she is an honor roll student taking four AP classes and four Honors classes. She has an un- weighted GPA is 4.0, and is ranked second in the senior class based on a weighted GPA. She is a member of math club, NHS, and French club, and a Cedar Post editor and a three-year Academic Decathlete.
She enjoys playing the piano and has a job at Eve’s Leaves. In the summer, she is an intern at the Festival at Sandpoint.
n Amanda Wikoff, Sandpoint High School
The daughter of Craig and Shar Wikoff, Amanda Wikoff was named the student of the month for October at Sand-point High School.
The editor-in-chief of Sandpoint High School’s student-run newspaper, the Cedar Post, Amanda Wikoff hopes to lead my staff to a ranking at the national competition this spring.
She is enrolled in dual credit classes at North Idaho College and will pursue an education at Northwest Nazarene University after high school. She hasve a GPA of 4.1.
n Benjamin Schwartz, Sandpoint High School
The son of Patricia Schwartz, Benjamin Schwartz was named a student of the month for Sand-point High School for the month of October.
He has played on the Sandpoint boys’ varsity soccer team for two years. He is also a member of Sandpoint High School’s National Honor Society, Math Club, Outdoor Adventure Club, and senior boys’ volleyball team. He is ranked eighth in the senior class with an unweighted GPA of 4.238.
He was awarded as an “Idaho Top Scholar” in his junior year, and was recently recognized as Sandpoint Living Local magazine’s “Athlete of the Month” for October 2016.
n Delaney Search, School: Sandpoint High School
The daughter of John and Nachele Search, Delaney Search was named a student of the month for Novem-ber at Sandpoint High School.
Search is a member of the SHS volleyball and tennis teams, the SHS Math Club, National Honor Society, SHS Student Council, and Health Occupation Students of America.
Among her honors are volleyball league MVP, nominated for the North Idaho Hall of Fame for tennis and volleyball, tennis state tournament citizenship award, second at state girls doubles tennis, volleyball all North Idaho team,
She is ranked first in her class with a GPA of 4.4.
n Charles Crane was named a student of the month at Sand-point High School for Novem-ber.
The son of Kathi and Charlie Crane, he enjoys playing soccer, rock climbing, hiking, camping and participating in water sports. He is vice president of the Outdoor Adventure Club, treasurer of NHS, and secretary/treasurer of Pep Club.
He is ranked 16th in his class with a GPA of 4.208.
n Lauren Sfeir was named a student of the month for Sandpoint High School for December.
She is the daughter of Ruth-Anne Sfeir and Joseph Sfeir. After living 15 years in Beirut, Lebanon, her family moved to Sagle the summer before her sophomore year.
While adjusting to an American high school was difficult for me, she said that same winter she bought her first DSLR camera and has been shooting ever since. She is an active member of the Monticola yearbook staff and has been the photo editor from 2016-2017. As well, I has been on Cedar Post (newspaper) from 2015-2017 and have held the photo editor position this year. Photography has been my main hobby; however, I have participated in other activities and clubs.
When I still lived in Lebanon, I participated in Model United Nations during my freshman year. I managed to win the diplomacy award for interacting with others in a diplomatic manner. The diplomacy award was basically equivalent to second place and since her committee was around the size of 100, only two other students also got it.
Since moving to the states, she has participated in the Health Occupations Students of America, the Interact club, the National Honor Society and has volunteered her time to places like Kinderhaven, thrift shops, and the library.
She has been in French Club for three years now and is serving as treasurer this year. She was selected to be a John Ernst Fellow her junior year. In her spare time, she is a part-time baby sitter and has taken on various photography jobs, including taking senior photos.
She is ranked seventh in her class with a GPA of 4.23.
n Tyler Kennedy was named a student of the month for Sandpoint High School for January.
The son of Dave and Trina Kennedy, Tyler is actively involved in school programs such as Sym-phonic Band and the new Sources of Strength Mentors program. He is a recipient of the SHS Care Student of the Month for September and a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.
In addition to his studies, he work part-time at High Eagle Ranch, taking care of animals and helping to maintain its operations.
Ranked 25th in his class, Kennedy has a weighted GPA is 4.07 and an unweighted GPA of is 3.98.
n Cheyenne Nicholson was named a student of the month at Sandpoint High School for January.
She has a 4.216 GPA and is ranked 13th out of 207 in my class.
In her spare time she enjoys playing volleyball, and she played as a defensive specialist on varsity her junior and senior year. She also was a team captain her senior year, helping lead the team to state. She also is a member of the school’s golf team, learning to play, and broadening her range of skill sets.
More than that she is an officer in HOSA helping lead the future health care professionals at Sandpoint High School to a career in the medical field. She participates in NHS, spending a lot of my volunteer time at Panhandle Special Needs.
She has also attended Girls’ State taking up a leadership position as mayor for her assigned town. ?
n Emily Garman, Clark Fork High School
The daughter of Daniel Garman and Terri Finney, Emily Nicole Garman is a senior at Clark Fork Jr./Sr. High School.
She has played volleyball and basketball for the past three years and ran track for the last four years. After making it to state in track for running both the 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles since her sophomore year, she is determined to earn her spot her final year.
Emily is looking to attend Lewis-Clark State Collage and become a radiology technician. She is job shadowing at North Idaho Orthopedics and Sports Medicine once a week and get hands on training with the patients, doctors and techs.
Emily is ranked fifth in her class with a GPA of 3.4.
n Kevin Gray was named as Elk’s student of the month for October.
In a nomination letter, Gray was praised as a very hard working individual at Bonners Ferry High School, where he is the president of the senior class as well as president of Wood Shop Club.
He leads the student body by setting a positive peer example. He is enrolled in AP classes and strives to achieve a higher GPA. In the classroom, teachers say he is a leading student; he completes any and all tasks given to him, he is willing to learn, and help others learn. He enjoys gaining life experiences, and understands the importance of setting an example for the future generations.
“Kevin is the type of student willing to put in several hours of work for minimal reward, or long-term rewards,” said teacher Francis Garner. “He understands that effort drive economy, not just talent. I believe that Kevin will have a very bright future, filled with various life experience that help our community, or other communities like our own. His academic success will help him achieve all his goals, and help him develop a strong career in any field.”
n Kassy Skeen was named the Student of the Month for Bonners Ferry High School for November.
In a nomination letter, teacher Tyler Warner called her one of the best students in the building.
“Not only does Kassy participate in soccer, basketball, and softball outside of school, she also is one of our great student leaders,” he wrote. “She is a pillar of the leadership/student council classes. In the classroom she is among the most positive influences on her peers and teachers.
“Her cheerful demeanor and dedication to hard work is always a welcome part of my school day. She will go out of her way to make sure her teachers feel supported and appreciated.”
Not only does Skeen have an outstanding academic record, he said she is a model student and citizen who “exemplifies the best that BFHS has to offer.”
n Grace Detherow was named the student of the month for Decem-ber at Bonners Ferry High School.
In a nomination letter, Detherow was praised as routinely showing herself to be the quintessential student in many regards, namely in the artistic realm, where she is most at home in the art room, being creative, and possessing a strong work ethic.
“If I had to categorize her via the Elks’ criteria I think she would fall under service and character,” according to the nomination letter. “She is just awesome. Really. There is not a day that goes by that I’m not impressed by her growth and her pursuit of creative action. She turns out art at an alarming rate, and all of it is unique and fantastic. There will never be another art student quite like Grace, and I’m going to miss her when she leaves this place and takes her next steps.”
n Hannah Olson was named the Elks’ Student of the Month for January at Bonners Ferry High School. She has earned recognition in Junior Academics, leadership, citizenship, character and services. While earning strong grades, she is a leader on the school’s volleyball team, serving as a setter and a hitter.
In a nomination letter, she was applauded as a top citizen and caring individual always willing to help her peers.
“I’m not sur if the volleyball game could happen without Hannah helping setting up everything in the gym with a smile” and checking to see if there’s any more she can do, wrote Jennifer Mackey.