Area's top scholars earn Elks academic honors

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 Elks 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.

Among those honored were Nicole Smith, Sloan Woodward, Grace Beyer, Michael Myers, Elloria Lambert, Dakota West and Brooke Stevens.

- Nicole Smith is Lake Pend Oreille High School’s Elks Student of the Month for Novem-ber. Smith is the daughter of Scott and Shawna Smith of Ponderay. Smith has demonstrated academic and attendance excellence while enrolled at LPO. She is on the honor roll with a 3.5 GPA this quarter and maintains a 90 percent attendance.

Smith was recently chosen to attend Women in Science at UI in Coeur d’Alene by her science teacher, Brenda Woodward. Nicole has demonstrated science aptitude in her chemistry class. Not only is Smith a full-time student but she works part-time in the evenings at Valley Vista. She obtained her CNA from North Idaho College. Her career ambition is to pursue nursing and her passion is animals. She volunteers in the summers at Panhandle Animal Shelter. Smith is an ambitious student. LPO staff said they are proud of her accomplishments.

- Sloan Michael Woodward was named the Elks student of the month for November.

The son of Shawn and Michelle Wood-ward, Sloan Wood-ward has a weighted GPA of 4.310, with a rank of tenth out of 219 students in his class. He has an unweighted GPA of 4.0, with a rank of first in the class of 219.

Woodward has run cross country and track all four years of high school, and was named a captain in both during senior year. He placed eighth in the 800 meter race at the Idaho State Track and Field Championships my junior year. Besides running, he enjoys anything outdoors, especially backpacking.

He plans on studying architecture in college.

- Grace Meyer was named student of the month for Sand-point High School for Novem-ber by the Elks.

The daughter of Jeff and Becky Meyer, Grace Meyer said she has been greatly influenced by many of the activities that she has partaken in, whether it be school, employment, or extracurricular activities. In school, Meyer have pursued a high standard for herself by taking extra and higher level classes, earning myself a 4.27 GPA and a rank in the top 10 percent of her class.

Outside of school, she works part-time at Starbucks as a barista, which is a career I will hope to continue into college.

She also is the manager for Sandpoint High School’s cross county and track and field teams, which she has done for several years. In addition, she has held several leadership positions as well, in Interact, Student Leadership, and more.

Meyer said she loves travelling and learning languages, which she does frequently.

- Michael Myers was selected as an Elks student of the month for Novem-ber at Clark Fork High School.

The son of Stanley and Edelmira Myers, Michael Myers has been an active member of Boy Scout Troop 111 for the last six years, just recently achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He has served his troop in various leadership positions over that time.

He has participated in track the past four years, running the 100m and 200m as well as long jump. He also did cross country his freshman and sophomore years, before starting football his junior and senior years.

This year, Myers has been taking mostly college classes through NIC and CSI, which will help him headstart his college education. He plans to study mechanical engineering.

- The daughter of Todd Lambert, Allissa Riggins, and older sister of Makylee Lambert, Elloria Lambert has been named an Elks student of the month for November at Clark Fork High School.

Lambert has chosen to take the opportunity to be dual enrolled full-time at NIC for her senior year. As a straight A student she has been eager to take full advantage of all the programs Clark Fork High school has offered to advance her education. She was just recently accepted to Colorado Christian University, where she plans to pursue a degree in psychology.

She enjoys a variety of extracurricular activities as a tri-sport athlete. She has been a four-year varsity player, lettering in both volleyball and basketball, as well as in tennis for the last three years. As a captain of her volleyball team she helped lead her team to state for two years in a row and received the Northstar All League award.

In addition to maintaining a high GPA and a grueling sports schedule, she has also juggled a job for all four years of high school. Lambert is also very actively involved with her local youth center, The Filling Station, and volunteers regularly to better her community and mentor the younger generations. Although she has cherished the moments of high school Lambert said she is excited for what her future holds.

- The son of Christopher West and Ricki Moen, Dakota West was named Elks student of the month for Decem-ber at Clark Fork Jr./Sr. High School.

When not busy with school, West participated in sports like football as captain for two years; and also extreme sport hobbies like dirt biking and snowboarding. West has found time to work part-time all the while getting dual-credit college work done at both the satellite campus and/or online, where he has actually accumulated over 20 credits. Also up to the start of his senior year he has been able to complete all high school credits except one, thankfully to the supportive and encouraging teachers and staff.

There has been the independent studies opportunity through the Clark Fork High School that has allowed him to job shadow under a mentor at a business every Friday. This experience has given him the benefit of seeing the engineering workforce from the inside.

Now a senior, his weighted GPA is 3.335.

- The daughter of Blaine and Darlene Stevens and sister to Wyatt and Wade, Brooke Stevens was named Elks student of the month for December at Clark Fork Jr./Sr. High School.

A senior, she holds a 3.98 GPA, she is taking dual credit classes and was recently named an Idaho Top Scholar.

Stevens said she enjoys playing sports and was named the most valueable player in the North Star League for volleyball two consecutive years. In additions, Stevens has also received all-league honors for basketball for two years, and have made it to state in golf every year. She plans to play sports at the collegiate level.

In her free time, she enjoys snowmobiling, riding dirtbikes and hunting with my family. She said she is really excited to graduate high school and start on her new adventure.