Community's top scholars receive honors
Sandpoint Elks Lodge No. 1376 has announced students of the month for the last couple of months 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 lagest 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 Katelyn Healy, Elinor Allen, Lucy Selph, Ali Sutton, Tessa Sutton, Ryan Baumgartner, Chloe Braedt, and Victoria Hewitt.
- Katelyn Healy
Katelyn “Kathy” Healy, the daughter of Denise Healy and granddaughter of Jim Healy, owner of The View Cafe, was selected as the March student of the month for Lake Pend Oreille High School.
Kathy Healy arrived at LPOHS two years ago with a 1.6 GPA. She now maintains a 3.0 GPA and consistently has been on the honor roll. She has been recognized many times as a student of the month by her teachers for the month’s attributes, such as resilience, with and respect.
“Despite feeling uncomfortable, Kathy was chosen to speak about her school at the LPOSD school board meeting and did so eloquently. Her favorite subject is math,” LPOHS school officials said of Healy. “Kathy also has a penchant for art. Her senior project was devoted to clay art where she displayed her creative pieces.”
Mentored by festival poster artist Leata Judd, Healy aspires to a career in interior design, a field in which she can utilize her artistic skills.
Healy is a philanthropic supporter of the school’s charitable events and community service such as the Bonner Community Food Bank, the Christmas Faire, and fundraising for the 2020 art class trip to Washington, D.C., to tour art galleries.
Healy has overcome a physical limitation and has a persistence and a drive to pursue her academic goals.
“The staff at Lake Pend Oreille High School is proud of Miss Katelyn Healy, graduate of LPO 2019.”
- Ellinor Allen
The daughter of Stephanie and Krister Allen, Ellinor Allen was selected as an Elk student of the month for Sand-point High School for the month of March.
She has been a member of the school’s choir throughout her high school career and currently serves as president of the women’s performing choir.
Allen is working on getting her CNA license through the school, and is preparing for college. She is ranked 12th with a cumulative grade point average of about 4.57.
- Lucy Selph
Daughter of Heather Swanson-Cook and Daniel Selph, Lucy Selph is a senior at Clark Fork Jr./Sr. High School. Selph has been a dedicated book lover ever since she was a little kid, and found that to be the common ground between she and her siblings.
She participated in both the arts track for three years, where she participated in a play, and an art show where she won an honorable mention award. Lucy also took part in the independent track, where she job shadowed the owner/manager at Six Star Automotive, learning about managing a business.
She achieved honor roll throughout her high school career, and is now a full-time dual credit student at North Idaho College, working toward a degree in English. She has completed 15 credits, and is still going strong, having applied to and accepted at University of Idaho and the College of Idaho.
- Ali Sutton
The daughter of Susan Sutton and triplet sister of Tessa and Hunter Sutton, Ali is a senior at Clark Fork High School and has been named an Elk student of the month for April.
As a three-sport athlete, she has lettered every year and was honored to represent her school and community as she competed in volleyball at state two years in a row. She was also an All-League honorable mention for basketball her junior year.
Ali has spent her time in the independent track program volunteering two semesters at Panhandle Special Needs as well as a semester at North Idaho Children’s Mental Health Center to gain the knowledge and experience needed for her future career.
She is currently taking multiple dual-credit courses and plans to attend North Idaho College next fall to major in psychology to pursue her dream of helping others as a therapist.
- Tessa Sutton
The daughter of Susan Sutton and triplet sister of Ali and Hunter Sutton, Tessa is a senior at Clark Fork High School and has been named an Elk student of the month for May.
Tessa has played varsity volleyball, basketball, and golf all four years of high school, and went to state two years in a row in volleyball. She received Northstar All-League Awards for Volleyball her Junior and Senior year and also for basketball her Sophomore year.
Tessa has spent her time in the independent track program training with the U.S. Army in Hayden, and job shadowing a semester with Selkirk Fire Rescue & EMS. She recently enlisted in the Army and will be pursuing a career in the military after graduation.
- Ryan Baumgartner
The son of Stephanie and Eric Baumgartner, Ryan Baumgartner was named an Elk student of the month for Aptil.
A motivated student, Manny, and KRFY volunteer, Baum-gartner said he takes care in everything he does whether it is taking home Benji, 4, Hannah, 8,) and Brady, 10, after school and playing games until 5:30 p.m. every week day but Friday or working on his projects at the KRFY station such as his weekly program The 3 O’clock Rush, or his new project as chair of the broadcast room renovation committee.
In addition, Baumgartner has kept up his grades at Sandpoint High School, earning grade point average of 4.32 and 13th place in the senior class of 206.
Baumgartner is an Eagle Scout, Sandpoint High School Men’s Choir treasurer, and the dedicated baritone of the Sandpoint High School Men’s Quartet.
- Chloe Braedt
The daughter of Kirsten and Rich Braedt, Chloe Braedt was selected as an Elk student of the month for Sand-point High School for the month of May.
A senior at Sandpoint High School, Braedt been a part of cross country and track and field teams for all my four years, and is serving as a captain of both sports this year.
Braedt was named a co-salutatorian and is ranked second in her senior class with a GPA of 4.426.
Braedt will be attending Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore., next fall and am currently interested in environmental studies and political science.
• Victoria Deanne Hewitt
The daughter of Travis and Jennifer Hewitt, Victoria Deanne Hewitt has been selected as an Elk student of the month for April.
Ranked 22nd in her class with a weighted GPA of 4.238, Hewitt is president of the National Honor Society, is a member of Business Profess-ionals of America, CyberPatriot Club, and the IT Internship program.
Hewitt received a scholarship from the National Center for Women and Information Technology during her sophomore and senior years.
In addition, Hewitt works at Kochava as a support engineer in the Infrasture and Reliability Engineering team.
During her junior and senior years of high school, she took dual credit classes through North Idaho College and will transfer to Boise State University as a sophomore this coming fall.