-- Amy Baja of Empire and Stephanie Marie Hall of Traverse City both graduated from Columbia College Chicago with bachelor's degrees in advertising art direction. Matthew Brian Harting of Traverse City graduated with a bachelor's degree in audio arts and acoustics.
-- Bridget Gulva of Buckley, daughter of Barbara Wilson and William Gulva, graduated from St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Ind., with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
-- Juliana Fisher of Traverse City, daughter of Dr. Brian and Vera Fisher, graduated with a bachelor of science degree from St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Ind.
-- Esther Posner of Suttons Bay was awarded the top student in the Geology Department at Grand Valley State University. A graduate of Suttons Bay High School, she is the daughter of Marian Kromkowski and Matthew Posner.
-- Jana Lanning of Mancelona was awarded the top student in the Liberal Studies Department at Grand Valley State University. She is a graduate of Mancelona High School.
-- Grant Engler of Traverse City was awarded the top student in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department at Grand Valley State University. He is the son of Mark and Nancy Engler, and a graduate of Traverse City Central High School.
-- Olivia Gillham of Traverse City, daughter of John and Diane Gillham, graduated from Vassar College with a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics.
-- GetEducated.com has named Baker College's online MBA program as one of the "Top 40 Ranked Best Buys -- Online MBAs -- Regional." Rankings are based on a GetEducated.com, LLC, survey of publicly posted tuition rates at 168 distance-learning MBA programs offered through accredited universities in the United States.
-- Nicholas James Cooper, son of James and Mary Cooper of Williamsburg, graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids. He'll be attending the University of Notre Dame in the fall to begin his master's work in sacred music.
-- Amy Wells of Traverse City graduated from Adams State College of Alamosa, Colo., with a master's degree in school counseling.
-- Spring Arbor University graduated the following students recently: Ellen Ance of Traverse City; Derald Delmage of Kalkaska; Kelli Hamilton of Traverse City, daughter of Larry and Vicki Hamilton; and Thomas Lamie of Grayling.
-- Central Michigan University recently graduated the following local students: Kevin Bennetts, Michael Fifelski and Kevin Vliet of Bellaire; Steven Ford of Elk Rapids; Tina McDuffie of Ellsworth; Thomas Kirkby of Kewadin; Robert Fleet and Melanie Griffore of Mancelona; Evan Colby and Amanda Fast of Frankfort; Nathan Dunham and Joshua Mills of Lake Ann; Sheryl Sturza of Boyne City; Timothy Burger, Darrell Lawson and Lauren Silberhorn of Charlevoix; Reece Bartlett, Kimberly Beauvais and Michelle Britt of East Jordan; Erin Green of Walloon Lake; Douglas Blaskowski and David Huffman of Cheboygan; Kortny Hahn of Indian River; Tal Babcock of Wolverine; Robert Van Nuck of Frederic; Craig Cobb and Payal Khanna of Grayling; Bethany Prykucki of Alanson; Erin Westman of Harbor Springs; James Tamlyn of Mackinaw City; Evan Brownie, Andrew Dawley, Elizabeth Phelps, Zackary Whitley and Jessica Zuiderveen of Petoskey; Barry Bialik of Interlochen; Leigh Nachazel and Ida Riley of Kingsley; Travers Alysworth, Jennifer Berkey, Daniel Bogin, Laura Brian, James Carlisle, Noah Emerson, Luke Hinzmann, Lyndsey Hjelmstad, Bryan Hodge, Jamie Jewell, Laura Kalbfleisch, Kasey Klumpp, Jeffrey Lamonde, Andrew Manning, Briana McGarry, Ann Niemi, Leah Olson, Michael Riley, Tracy Robinson, Abbey Roszczewski, Jason Vanbrocklin, and Elizabeth Wojnowski of Traverse City; Evan Pulver of Williamsburg; Katie Gilmour of Fife Lake; Jason Roys of Kalkaska; David Galla of Maple City; Leah Bauer, Daniel Campbell and Nathan Cenovski of Elmira; Nicholas Axford, Dominic Borowiak, Heather Daugherty, Timothy Long, Sadie Marshall, Jeanette Sayre, Aaron Sides and Kyle Skiba of Gaylord; William Clark of Johannesburg.
-- Kelsey Schmuckal, daughter of Randy and Jan Schmuckal of Traverse City, was named the 2008 recipient of the Saint Michael's College (Colchester, Vt.) Scholarship and Service Book Award. A student at St. Francis High School in Traverse City, Kelsey was recognized for her commitment to volunteerism and leadership through community service. She was presented with the book "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung, a 1993 Saint Michael's graduate.
-- The following local students have graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids: Ruth Diemer of McBain; Andrew Gregory of Traverse City; Benjamin Hammer of Williamsburg; Lauren Jung of Williamsburg; Aaron Davis of Gaylord; Benjamin McCray of Petoskey.
-- Sean Morris of Frankfort, a student at the University of Michigan, has been awarded a $1,500 college scholarships as part of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Legacy Awards program. To be eligible, applicants must be a child or grandchild of a GCSAA member. Sean is the son of Michael DeVoe Morris, CGCS, of Crystal Downs Country Club, Frankfort.
-- The following local students recently graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Kevin Castle of Maple City; James Lisonbee, Matthew Parker and Kathryn Seidel of Traverse City.
-- Traverse City Area Public Schools received two awards by the National School Public Relations Association Awards for programs that help build community awareness in the 2008 Publications and Electronic Media Contest. An Award of Merit was received for Distinguished Achievement in the Category of School District Audio/Visual Programs & Presentations for the "Building Our Future" video. An Award of Honorable Mention for Distinguished Achievement was received in the Category of School District Identify/Image Package for Traverse City Area Public Schools Identity Branding.
-- Traverse City Central High School will receive a new sign for the south parking lot entrance thanks to the generous donation of long time Traverse City residents and community archivists, Ida and Jim Tompkins.
-- Tyler Tafelsky of Williamsburg was one of 10 Western Michigan University students who received major scholarships in recognition of outstanding character and academic excellence. Tafelsky received a $1,000 Robert A. Welborn Scholarship. He is the son of Cynthia L. Crysler and David C. Tafelsky.
-- Baker College officials have announced the appointment of John MacLeod to the Cadillac campus board of regents. He is currently the chief executive officer of Mercy Hospital of Cadillac, a position he has held since 1999.
-- Traverse City Central High School was designated as part of Target's Take Charge of Education program, and received a cash donation to be used for school programs benefiting student learning.
-- Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District (TBAISD), TBA Credit Union, and the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce honored the recipients of the 2008 Outstanding Educator Awards: Julie Faulkner, Principal, Long Lake Elementary; Regis McCord, Director of Instructional Services, TBA-ISD; Cindy Barker, Teacher Consultant for the Visually Impaired, TBA-ISD; Mary LeMieux, Support Staff, Traverse City West High School; teachers Vickie Ross, Bellaire Public Schools, John Anselmo, Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools, Doug Domine, Northwestern Michigan College, Stephanie Long, Traverse City West High School, Sherry Stoltz, Traverse City West Junior High School, Connie Thompson, Old Mission Elementary.
-- Students in the Welding and Fabrication program at the TBA Career-Tech Center participated in the Ferris State University Welding Engineering Technology Secondary Welding Competition: David Salyer, Benzie Central High School, took second place in oxygen acetylene welding; and Daniel Machuta, Traverse City West High School, placed third in gas tungsten arc welding. Several students submitted projects to the Michigan Industrial Technology Education Society competition. The first place team consisted of: Mike Valesano, Traverse City Central; Jared Prusick, St. Francis; and Curtis Walters, St. Francis. David Gilbert and Jason Bush, both from Traverse City Central High School, also received honors taking first and second place respectively.
-- Heidi Konieczka of Suttons Bay has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship by the American Institute of Architects, Northern Michigan Chapter. Konieczka is entering her fifth year of studies in the architecture program at the University of Detroit, Mercy.
-- The following 8th grade students graduated from The Pathfinder School: Maxine Fay Burrows, Tatiana Crespo Granados, Jesse Terenia Einhorn-Johnson, Phillip Thomas Hanawalt, Tate Wellington Hanawalt, Philip Camden-Boyd Knox, Maxwell Jacob Lundmark, Jake Felix Meade, Charles Richard Pacer, David Carl Pelizzari, Lena Louise Rollenhagen.
-- Michigan Pupil Accounting and Attendance Association (MPAAA) recognized Patricia LaBelle of the Grand Traverse County Truancy Intervention Program with an Outstanding Service Award.
-- Jan Havens, lead secretary at Central Grade School, was one of four finalists honored by the State Board of Education during the Michigan School Support Person of the Year Award.
-- Jake Drews (Home School) and Kevin Valley (Bellaire High School), members of the TBA-ISD Career Tech Center's Manufacturing Technology Academy program, earned the High Honors Award at the Northern Michigan Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Symposium. Tyler Broad and Spencer Thompson, members of TCAPS' SCI-MA-TECH program at Traverse City Central High School, earned Honorable Mention Awards.
-- Cherry Knoll Elementary School won first place and $10,000 in a community program call My School's Cool, sponsored by the Grand Traverse Mall. Money will go towards the future walking track and exercise stations.
-- Three delegates from Lake Leelanau St. Mary School placed in the top 10 of the 2008 National Business Professionals of America finals: Katherine Miller, 6th place, Entrepreneurship; Bradi Pasch, 9th place, Administrative Support Research Project; Saralynn MacKinnon, 4th place, Fundamental Word Processing.
-- The St. Mary School 2008 Golf-a-Thon was a success with more than $35,000 in pledges made to this year's event. Principal Mark Gaubatz was the winner of Hole Number Seven with a hole-in-one, which he contributed back to St. Mary School toward the establishment of the Mark and Janis Gaubatz Senior Scholarship.
-- Claire Posner, daughter of Matthew Posner of Suttons Bay, graduated from Macalester College (Minnesota) with honors.
-- Luke Randall of Interlochen graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in film. He recently completed a film internship in Los Angeles with Marty Katz Productions on the movie "Love Ranch" with Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci.
-- Northern Michigan University College of Business honored the following local students: Ashley Mauchmar, Erin Moriarity, and Angela Neumann.
-- Sarah Kristine Drake, daughter of Dr. Daniel Drake and Mrs. Kristine Drake of Traverse City, graduated from Denison University (Ohio).
-- Four local students received academic and leadership awards from Albion College: Benjamin Hardin, Rachel Kamischke, Joel Pier-Fitzgerald and Kelly Sitek.
-- Boyne Falls Schools and Frankfort Elementary School have received a grant of a free, one-year site license to Sylvan Dell eBooks.
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