National Honor Society members (L-R): Nicole Williams, Jory Towe, Hunter Shelmerdine, Nate Samuli, Cecilia Ruppert, Ashley Miller, Chance Johnson, Madison Hinchey and Lily Mercer. Not pictured Lauryn Barnes.
Autumn Morse accepts a $500 scholarship from Carey Kanavel, realtor with Clearwater Montana Properties. This was the first year this scholarship was offered. Kanavel said she hopes it will be an annual opportunity.
Kyle Peltier receives a $1,000 Fine Arts Scholarship from Alpine Artisans Program Director Jenny Rohrer.
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley-Swan High School seniors and their parents gathered for the annual senior awards ceremony May 31. While many awards and scholarships had already been awarded, some students continued to add to their list of recognitions with class awards and local scholarships.
Of the 28 SSHS graduates, 17 maintained a cumulative grade point average of a 3.0 or higher throughout their high school career. Brian Atwell, Lily Mercer, Hunter Shelmerdine and Jory Towe scored higher than a 27 on their ACTs.
Ten students received their honor chords for National Honor Society. Their membership is based on academic excellence, citizenship, leadership and service. National Honor Society members include: Lauryn Barnes, Madison Hinchey, Chance Johnson, Lily Mercer, Ashley Miller, Cecilia Ruppert, Nathan Samuli, Hunter Shelmerdine, Jory Towe and Nicole Williams.
"This is remarkable to have this many students receive National Honor Society in a class of this size," said teacher Mary Stone.
The SSHS Leo Club accumulated over 400 hours of community service and donated nearly $2,500 to the community and others in need since the Club was chartered in the fall of 2017. Service awards were given to Brian Atwell, Lauryn Barnes, Jenna Harnisch-Colby, Madison Hinchey, Chance Johnson, Lily Mercer, Ashley Miller, Autumn Morse, Hunter Shelmerdine, Jory Towe and Jared Townsend.
"Our school and our community thanks you," said Stone.
Morse was continually recognized for her commitment, service and overcoming adversity. She received more than $5,500 at this year's award ceremony including: $500 Seeley Lake Lions Club Merit Award; $500 Carey Kanavel Scholarhip through Clearwater Montana Properties; $1,000 per year Anonymous Donor Scholarship to an institution of their choice as long as she maintains a 3.0 GPA; $500 Loving Hearts scholarship and the Cliff Nelson Scholarship presented by Seeley Lake Elementary Board Chair Todd Johnson.
Johnson said Morse is someone who has faced challenges in her life and made tough choices to ensure that she gave herself every opportunity to succeed.
"I'm very proud of the young adult this student has become and I know Cliff would have been too," said Johnson.
Miller received several awards and scholarships throughout the night. She received the "Superb Mathematician Award" for earning 10 college credits in math at the highest level of comprehension.
Math teacher Mary Stone said, "She works diligently, attends to precision that most of us can only dream of doing and is never satisfied unless it is absolutely correct."
Miller also received a Loving Hearts Scholarship for $1,000 and the John A. Bell Family Memorial Scholarship for $1,000 from the Seeley Lake Lions Club for her academic achievements and community service.
Williams received several class awards. She received a letter for Creative Writing for co-editing the SSHS Student Literary Journal "Backroads of the Mind", "The Thinker" award from government class and the Senior writing award.
"One of the things that Nicole [Williams] was particularly amazing at was combining incredibly good academic scholarship with creativity and passion which is exactly what you want to see in awesome academic writing and what students can rarely have a handle on in high school so it was really impressive," said SSHS English teacher Lori Messenger.
Peltier received a letter in creative writing as a co-editor with Williams and the $1,000 Alpine Artisans Fine Arts Scholarship.
"Kyle has stood out not only for his leadership, his performances, which I'm sure many of you are familiar with, but also his writing," said AAI Program Director Jenny Rohrer
Lane Mackie-Wendel received a letter in choir and received the "Outstanding Senior Project Award."
"He was passionately engaged in what he was doing his [photography] project about, he went way over and above and learned so much that he is excited to carry forward into the future," said Messenger.
Other scholarships awarded Friday night included: $1,000 Seeley Lake Community Service Scholarship to Lily Mercer and $500 Merit Award to Hunter Shelmerdine from the Seeley Lake Lions Club and $500 scholarships to both Cecilia Ruppert and Amanda Thomas from Loving Hearts.
Principal Dr. Kathleen Pecora said, "I've been doing this for 44 years this year and this is one of the nicest and the brightest classes I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Parents, that is a tribute to you too and your families. And we are discovering every day that they have more and more talent than we ever expected."
A full list of senior scholarships and honors as of June 3 includes:
• Brian Atwell: ACT score higher than 27 and SSHS Leos Club Service Award
• Lauryn Barnes: Missoula Electric Cooperative Scholarship, Montana State University-Northern Gold Level Scholar Award, Montana State University-Northern Pryde G. Skinner Endowed Scholarship, SSHS Leos Club Service Award and National Honor Society.
• Michael Bracha: Providence Athletic Scholarship
• Jenna Harnisch-Colby: SSHS Leos Club Service Award
• Madison Hinchey: SSHS Leos Club Service Award and National Honor Society
• Chance Johnson: Timber Products Manufacturers Association Scholarship, University of Montana Academic Achievement Award, SSHS Science Achievement Award, SSHS Leos Club Service Award and National Honor Society.
• Lane Mackie-Wendel: Outstanding Senior Project Award, Choir letter
• Lily Mercer: University of Montana Academic Achievement Award, Seeley Lake Lions' Community Service Scholarship, ACT score higher than 27, SSHS Leos Club Service Award and National Honor Society.
• Ashley Miller: University of Montana Academic Achievement Award, John A. Bell Family Memorial Scholarship, Loving Hearts Scholarship, SSHS Superb Mathematician Award, SSHS Leos Club Service Award and National Honor Society
• Autumn Morse: ACE Award, Masonic Lodge Scholarship, University of Montana Academic Achievement Award, University of Montana Back on Track Scholarship, Anonymous Donor Scholarship, Cliff Nelson Scholarship, Loving Hearts Scholarship, Carey Kanavel Scholarship, Seeley Lake Lions Club Merit Award and SSHS Leos Club Service Award.
• Kyle Peltier: Alpine Artisans Fine Arts Scholarship, Grizzly Claw Book Scholarship and Creative Writing letter
• Cecilia Ruppert: Loving Hearts Scholarship and National Honor Society
• Nate Samuli: National Honor Society
• Hunter Shelmerdine: Missoula Electric Cooperative Scholarship, Montana State University Asbjornson University Award, Seeley Lake Lions Club Merit Award, ACT score higher than 27, SSHS Leos Club Service Award and National Honor Society.
• Amanda Thomas: Loving Hearts Scholarship
• Jory Towe: University of Montana Academic Achievement Award, SSHS Science Achievement Award, ACT score higher than 27, SSHS Leos Club Service Award and National Honor Society
• Jared Townsend: Band letter and SSHS Leos Club Service Award
• Cordell Turner: University of Montana Academic Achievement Award
• Nicole Williams: Blackfoot Communications Scholarship, Carroll College Forensics Scholarship, Carroll College Montana Advantage Award, Carroll College Trustee Scholarship, DAR Good Citizen Award, National Center for Women & Information Technology Aspirations in Computing Award, Missoula County Public Schools Most Inspirational Student, Creative Writing letter, SSHS Senior Writing Award, "The Thinker" SSHS Government Award and National Honor Society.
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