LPOSD students earn academic honors
The Sandpoint Elks Lodge has announced students of the month for January, February and March for the Lake Pend Oreille School District.
Selected for the honor in January are Jamie Herrick and Rebecca Heilman of Clark Fork High School. Students selected for the honor in February are Sylvia Becker of Sandpoint High School and Roxanne Downing of Clark Fork High School. Selected for the honor in March are Wil Leisy and Carys Perilloux of Sandpoint High School.
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 awards thousands of dollars in scholarships and local students also received 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.
Rebecca Heilman
At Clark Fork High School Rebecca Heilman, daughter of Travis and Amanda Heilman, has been named student of the month for January. Rebecca has had a remarkable high school career. With her current GPA sitting at 4.04 before the school year has even ended, she is still hard at work. Rebecca has been taking college level courses since her junior year. In that short amount of time, she has finished all of her required college English courses and some other prerequisites. She has been committed to keeping good grades and showing academic excellence. She is on track to become a pediatric nurse. When choosing what career, she wanted to enter Rebecca spent a lot of time out in the community. She discovered her love for kids when helping at the local elementary school whenever they needed it. It wasn’t long after that she learned that she wanted to make sure these kids had everything they needed and were healthy. Taking the best from both worlds Rebecca knew that she was meant to be a pediatric nurse.
Rebecca has been a participant on the volleyball team for all four years. She has found that she doesn’t need to be the standout or captain on the team to still make an impact. She took this valuable lesson that volleyball has taught her and applied it to many other things. A lot of the time you can find Rebecca volunteering for things around the community. One thing that she has done this year is take sports photos for the yearbook club and has helped set up some community events. She does these things and doesn’t expect to be recognized for it. Rebecca also likes to spend time outdoors with her friends and family. During the summer if you can't find her in the community, she is probably out fishing on the lake.
Jamie Herrick
Jamie Herrick, the youngest daughter of Joseph and Ingrid Herrick, was named student of the month for January at Clark Fork High School. As a lifelong 4H member, she has shown her commitment to her community through her public service projects, both within 4H and within her church. She has a deep passion for agriculture and plans to pursue a career in that field. As an avid athlete, she is a leader on both the basketball and tennis courts. She loves the outdoors and pursues many activities, such as archery, paddleboarding, hiking, and skiing. With a GPA of 4.15, Jamie is deeply dedicated to her studies, taking dual credit classes since her sophomore year. She will be Clark Fork’s valedictorian and, in the fall, she plans on attending the University of Idaho to pursue a degree in agricultural economics and accounting.
Sylvia Becker
Sylvia Becker was named an Elks student of the month for February. A senior at Sandpoint High School, she is the daughter of Jenianne and Greg Becker.
Becker has been very involved with her school both academically and athletically. She has been a member of the high school's wrestling team for the past three years, being a captain for two of those years. Last year, she was a winner of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American and Leadership All-American Awards, showing her dedication on and off the mat.
She has maintained a 4.0 unweighted GPA, and is ranked 15th out of her 213 classmates. Becker is also a member of the National Honors Society this year through Sandpoint High.
After high school, she plans to attend college to earn her bachelor's degree in science of nursing, following that with her certification in midwifery.
Roxanne Ryan Downing
Roxanne Ryan Downing, daughter of Stephen Downing and Patricia Frazier, has been recognized for her academic achievements at Clark Fork High School.
With a weighted GPA of 3.85, Roxanne Downing has demonstrated exceptional dedication to her studies and was named an Elks student of the month for February. She has been taking college courses since her freshman year and is currently a full-time college student at North Idaho College during her senior year. Her hard work and determination will allow her to graduate high school one year early while also earning her associate’s degree from North Idaho College.
Roxanne plans to double major in psychology and law, recognizing the strong connection between the two fields. While she is still exploring which career path will interest her most, she is passionate about advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves.
In addition to her academic success, Roxanne has volunteered many hours working with young children and assisting in nursing homes. She is eager to see what the future holds and remains committed to her education and work.
Carys Perilloux
Carys Perilloux was named an Elks student of the month for March 2025.
A senior at Sandpoint High School, she is the daughter of Heather Srigley and Cam Srigley. She has a weighted GPA of 4.35, ranking her ninth in her class.
Perilloux has a wide variety of activities outside of school, including being a pianist of 14 years, a guitar player, a former Academic Decathlon member, and a current member of National Honor Society and Sandpoint Interact Club. In piano, she is progressing toward earning her associate's diploma in the Royal Conservatory of Music program (based out of the University of Toronto). Her achievements also include being an Academic Decathlon nationalist medalist, Junior Top Scholar, three-time honorable mention recipient in the Spokane Music Artistry Program, and multiple honors and first-class honors awards on her RCM exams.
After she graduates from high school, she plans to study astrophysics and piano performance as a double major, though she has not yet chosen where she is going to study. After completing her doctorate in astrophysics, she hopes to use her degree to travel around the world, observing the cosmos in different places and teaching internationally.
Will Leisy
Will Leisy was named as an Elks student of the month for March 2025.
The son of Ryan and Abby Leisy, he is a senior at Sandpoint High School.
Wil Leisy is a dedicated student-athlete who has excelled both in the classroom and on the court. He has been a member of the high school varsity golf and basketball teams, serving as the captain of the boys' varsity basketball team during his senior year. Beyond his own athletic achievements, he has devoted countless hours to mentoring young athletes, assisting with basketball camps, tournaments, and coaching multiple summer camps. His commitment to academics and athletics earned him the Boys' Basketball Team Scholar-Athlete Award.
Leisy holds a weighted GPA of 4.09, ranking 46th out of 215 students, and an unweighted GPA of 3.97, ranking 26th out of 215. Following high school, he plans to attend college and pursue a degree in the medical field.
Herrick
Becker
Downing
Perilloux
Leisy