Columbia County newsmakers
UGA merit award
Adrienne Popplewell, an Augusta Christian senior, was awarded the University of Georgia Certificate of Merit for superior scholastic endeavors, and the Augusta State University certificate of Academic Achievement for outstanding academic performance. Presbyterian College named Popplewell a 2003 Junior Fellow and awarded her the Junior Academic Achievement Award. She also was named a 2003 Wofford College Scholar. Also, Popplewell received President Bush's 2003 Education Award. Popplewell is the daughter of Mike and Christie Popplewell of Appling.
Augusta State Dean's List
Allison Popplewell of Appling, was recently named to the Dean's List at Augusta State University for the fall 2002 and spring 2003 semesters. Popplewell, the daughter of Mike and Christie Popplewell of Appling, was a 2001 graduate of Augusta Christian Schools.
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Augusta retiree swims to gold
Jim LeBoff, 64, earned his third Georgia Games gold medal in the 2003 Georgia Games Championships at Mountain View Aquatic Center in Marietta, Ga., July 20. He won the Men's 60-64 50-meter free-style swim.
LeBoff, a native of Schweinfurt, Germany, served in the 82nd Airborne Division and retired from Augusta Coca-Cola Bottling Co. as a fountain sales manager in May 2001 after 39 years. After retirement, LeBoff took up his old hobby - swimming.
In the 2002 Georgia Games, LeBoff earned two gold medals - in the 50-meter fee-style and 50-meter breast stroke. He trains at the Augusta Aquatic Center four times a week and plans to compete in the 2004 games.
SCAD seminar
Eric Robinson of Grovetown attended the Savannah College of Art and Design Summer Seminar. The seminar is a one-week program designed for rising 10th- through 12th-grade students, in which they take introductory art classes taught by SCAD professors. Robinson is a student at Evans High School.
SCAD forum
Lakeside High School art teacher Emily Shipe attended the Savannah College of Art and Design's Art Educators Forum this summer. The weeklong forum offered 40 workshops taught by SCAD professors in such subjects as portrait painting, introduction to Adobe Photoshop and antiques.
Chik-fil-A awards
Three Columbia County students are among local Chik-fil-A employees receiving $1,000 Chik-fil-A Leadership Scholarships. The program recognizes restaurant employees who excel in leadership, academics and community involvement.
Scholarship winners include Jeremy Ownby of Evans, a 2000 graduate of Greenbrier High School; and Martinez residents Alex Doty and Neil Howerton, 2002 graduates of Evans High School. All three attend Augusta State University.
Tech honors
Christopher Lee Golden of Martinez earned Faculty Honors for the summer semester 2003 at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Golden earned the honor for maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average for the semester.
GSW honors
Tameka E. Rolle of Martinez was named to the summer Academic Achievement List at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Ga. To be named to the list, students must earn a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher.
Baylor graduate
Mark Doughton Swofford of Evans received a master's degree in health administration in summer commencement exercises at Baylor University, Waco, Texas.
UGA honors
Lesley Graybeal, a 2003 graduate of Greenbrier High School, is one of 21 students receiving a Foundation Fellowship at the University of Georgia. The award, which provides an annual stipend of $8,000 and a tuition waiver, includes grants for travel-study and academic conferences and research, along with other enrichment opportunities. Foundation Fellows have an average SAT of 1,511 and an average grade-point average of 4.09.
Graybeal is the daughter of Michael and Sheila Graybeal of Evans.
UGA honor lists
The University of Georgia has announced the names of undergraduate students named as Presidential Scholars or to the Dean's List for summer semester.
Presidential Scholars earned a 4.0 grade-point average; Dean's List students attained at least a 3.5.
Named as Presidential Scholars are Kenneth Duncan Adcox II of Appling; Kristen Sue Causey, Marie Danielle Dabbs, Breonne Trowbridge Dedecker, William Reeves Hewlett, Kailiya Lisa Mundo, Andrea Lauren Sims, Chad Alan Thornhill, Charles Eric Wooten, Sarah Keara McMillan and Rachel Sara Lorenzen, all of Martinez; Courtney LaDonna Grant, Katherine Marie Howard, Jennifer Denise Conley and Daniel Stephen Adams, all of Grovetown; Bryan Lee Reese and Frances Elizabeth Gay, both of Harlem; and Rebecca Ann McNorrill, Sara N. Byrd, Mathew James Duncan, Adam Zachary Goldberg, Thomas Hardy Morris, Ashley Elaine Neary, Ryan Edward Pierson, Amanda Michelle Prior, Veena S. Thomas, Vijaya Mary Thomas, Avni J. Amin, Scott Alan Villemain and Jessica Beverly Mackay of Martinez.
Named to the Dean's List are Florettee Danyll Ceniza, Christopher Kendall Gleason, Sue Hee Hong, Niju Joeseph Philip, John O'Connor Radeck Jr., Brantley Philip Senn, Edward Patrick Stapleton, Anita Batra, Amy Elizabeth Defer, Amol M. Deshpande, Brian Christian Saccone, Lindsay Catherine McGraw and David Daniel Pope, all of Evans; Valerie Geniene Jones of Harlem; and Sarah Ashley Brooks, Robert Alvin Hancock II, Jessica Lee Cunico, Brenton Carter Lake, Gina Magharious, Gehres Megan Paschal, William Matthew Verdecchia, Irish Ryan Neville, John Joseph O'Grady and Amy Michelle Price, all of Evans.
USC Dean's List
The University of South Carolina's School of Music has notified Steven Smolley that he has been named to the Dean's List for the fall 2002 and spring 2003 semesters. Steven is a former home-school student and will be a sophomore at USC, Columbia, this fall. His major is organ performance. He is the son of Andrew & Patricia Smolley of Harlem.
Tech graduate
David Adkinson, a 1999 Evans High School graduate, graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with high honors with major in molecular biology and a minor in music. Adkinson, son of Larry and Kathy Adkinson, is attending the Medical College of Georgia in the fall.
MCG graduate
Jana Caroline Brooks, daughter of Nan and Carl Brooks, graduated magna cum laude from the Medical College of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in radiological sciences. She will begin working with Byars, Goldsmith, Waxman and Bridges in Augusta.
Three Berry grads
Three Columbia County natives graduated from Berry College, Mount Berry, Ga., during spring commencement ceremonies May 3.
Jessica Sarah Wilson, of Evans, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in animal science. Erin Nicole Murray and Natalie Elise Wolbert are both of Martinez and earned Bachelor of Science degrees in early childhood education.
Berry College also inducted two area students into the newest chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, an academic honors organization. Inductees were Jessica Karen Smith, a senior international studies major and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John T. Smith of Augusta, and Natalie Elise Wolbert, a senior early childhood education major and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Wolbert.
Model UN team wins twice
Two Columbia County natives helped earned the Berry College Model United Nations club two awards for its portrayal of Canada at the National Model United Nations Conference in New York.
Marie Jung, a junior government major and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Jung of Harlem, and Ronald Ogden, a junior computer science major and son of Lucy Anton of Toledo, Ohio, and Mr. and Mrs. Richard R. Ogden of Evans, were part of the team that won the Outstanding Paper Award for their research on and written presentation of Canada's foreign policy and a Distinguished Delegation Award for their performance.
Taste of teaching
Jeanette James, of Evans, is one of 52 students at Lander University, Greenwood, S.C., serving as student teachers through the university's student teaching program, which is required for all students working toward South Carolina teacher certification. James is serving the 12-week program teaching art under Sharon Havird at Gilbert High School.
ASU Dean's List
Jason Crouse of Martinez was recently named to the Dean's List at Augusta State University for the spring 2003 semester. Crouse, a 2001 Evans High School graduate, is the son of Tom and Joni Crouse of Martinez.
Marquette Dean's List
Emily G. Ballweg of Martinez was named to Marquette University Dean's List for the spring semester.
Agnes Scott graduate
Agnes Scott College Graduate Tayyeba Ahmad of Martinez earned her Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in English Literature-Creative Writing. She was among 184 students awarded bachelor's degrees and is a graduate of Lakeside High School.