Newsmakers

Seventh-graders honored for outstanding achievement

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Some of the most academically talented seventh-graders in the U.S. have recently been recognized as part of Duke University's TIP Talent Search for their scores on the ACT or SAT. Columbia County pupils who are among those recognized are: Amazing Grace Academy: Mark Karmin, of Evans; Augusta Christian Schools: Allyson Lehi, of Martinez; Augusta Preparatory Day School: Hutton Brandon, of Evans; Joseph Glass, of Evans; Yang Lee, of Evans; Nolan Steinhart, of Martinez, Garrett Terris, of Martinez; Columbia Middle School: Tabitha Colbert, of Grovetown, Alexander Vogel of Martinez; Dudrey Family Home School: Michael Dudrey, of Martinez; Evans Middle School: Rebecca Beaird, of Martinez, Briana Burnett, of Martinez, Craig Drouin, of Martinez, Sarah Long, of Martinez, Alyssa Mullikin, of Martinez, Lena Oliver, of Evans, Brittani Russell, of Martinez, Michael Sellers, of Martinez, Paige Yelvington, of Evans; Greenbrier Middle School: Kathryn Balliew, of Evans, Anthony Bonitatibus, of Evans, Taylor-Alexis Brandon, of Evans, Matthew Keskula, of Evans, Saige Martinez, of Evans; Grovetown Middle School: Erika Blair, of Grovetown; Lakeside Middle School: Daniel Anderson, of Martinez, Nicholas Culpepper, of Martinez, Ciera Durden, of Martinez, Simon Ruiz, of Martinez, Rachel Stahler, of Martinez, Sterling Tran, of Martinez; Riverside Middle School: Ayesha Ahmad, of Evans, Amarachi Erondu, of Evans, John Hardy, of Martinez, Robert Jordan, of Martinez, Richardson Lane, of Martinez, Benjamin Musall, of Martinez, Thomas Parfenchuck, of Martinez, Kyle Schwartz, of Evans, April Sheeks, of Evans, Alisha Shivers, of Evans, Mary Townsend, of Martinez; St. Mary On The Hill School: Kate Crow, of Martinez, David Klein, of Harlem; Westminster Schools Of Augusta: Isaac Halverson, of Grovetown.

National Achievement Scholarship Winners

Michael W. Smith, of Martinez, has won a National Achievement $2,500 Scholarship Program award for outstanding academic success. He is a student at A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet High School in Augusta. His probable career field is medicine.

Sharon A. McCoy, of Evans, has won a Textron Achievement Scholarship award for outstanding academic success. She is a high school student at Greenbrier High School in Evans. Her probable career field is international affairs.

Scholarship recipient

Crosby Broadwater III, an Evans High School senior, received $1,000 in scholarship aid from Psi Omega Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. in April.

High school students recognized at conference

Sharon Aileen Marie McCoy, of Greenbrier High School, was named the 2006 FLAIR Student of the Year and 19 additional high school students were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements in foreign language at the annual induction ceremony of the Foreign Language Alliance for International Rapport (FLAIR) Honor Society at Augusta State University.

Other students who were recognized include William Andrew Haislip, Augusta Christian Schools; Carlos Ivan Isales, Augusta Preparatory Day School; Lauren Wilsey, Evans Christian Academy; and William Charles Crews, Lakeside High School.

North Carolina Dean's List

Baker Edwards Hatcher has been named to the Dean's List at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the fourth consecutive semester. Baker was recently invited to participate in the Carolina Leadership Institute at UNC. He also has been accepted to the Kenan-Flagler Business School's Carolina Business Institute. Baker is the son of Mr. and Mrs. R.W. Hatcher, of Martinez.

Starkey Hearing Foundation honor

Sara Mamo, a doctorate student at UNC and a Martinez native, was recently honored by the Starkey Hearing Foundation, an internationally acclaimed nonprofit organization that travels the world in an effort to give the gift of hearing to the poor. The foundation presented its second annual Student Humanitarian Awards during the recent American Academy of Audiology's AudiologyNOW! Convention in Minneapolis in conjunction with the National Association of Future Doctors of Audiology. Mamo was one of two winners of the award.

Evans student honored at McCallie Awards Day

John Harris, a sophomore at McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tenn., received the Dr. T.E.P. Woods Memorial Award for Academic Excellence during the school's annual awards days in late April. Harris is the son of Mark and Beth Harris.

National Achievement Scholarship Winners

Susanna S. Okula, of Evans, a high school student at Augusta Preparatory Day School in Martinez, was awarded in May the National Merit $2,500 Scholarship for outstanding academic success. Her probable career field is international relations/studies.

Joy Zhang, of Evans, a student at Lakeside High School in Evans, also was awarded in May the National Merit $2,500 Scholarship for outstanding academic success. Her probable career field is research.

Helen Abbott Community Service Award winner

Amira Mouna, a senior at Greenbrier High School and an American Red Cross of Augusta Youth Board Member, is one of four students nationally to receive the Helen Abbott Community Service Award. The award recognizes students and student organizations that show exemplary dedication to community service and to improving the lives of others. The award is sponsored by the Arab American Institute, and awards one $1,000 scholarship to a student and two $500 grants to student organizations.

Grovetown resident recognized awards banquet

Jason Kinsey, a University of Georgia senior and Grovetown resident, was awarded the Charles A. and Rose Lane Leavell Scholarship at the Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources' 75th annual Spring Awards Banquet, held April 20 at the UGA Center for Continuing Education Conference Center in Athens, Ga. Kinsey also was recognized for his induction into Xi Sigma Pi, the national forestry honors society.

Martinez resident recognized at awards banquet

Bradford Huffman, a University of Georgia junior and Martinez resident, was presented with the Georgia Davison, Society of American Foresters award at the Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources' 75th annual Spring Awards Banquet, held April 20 at the UGA Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel in Athens, Ga.