Peninsula People
Dunn interns in Washington, D.C.
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Kelsey Dunn, of Kenai, is participating in Sen. Ted Stevens’ summer internship program in Washington, D.C. Kelsey is the daughter of Dennis and Terrie Dunn, graduated from Kenai Central High School in 2005 and is a student at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash.
McBee earns 2 honors on same day
McBee
Elexis McBee graduated from the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio, on June 3 with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. She superseded from ensign to lieutenant in the U.S. Navy that same day and will complete her medical internship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Elexis is a 1995 graduate of Soldotna High School and the daughter of Terry and Diane McBee of Soldotna.
Students receive degrees, honors
· Grant Gephardt, of Cooper Landing, graduated from the Oregon Institute of Technology on June 17 with a degree of bachelor of science degree in civil engineering.
Schaafsma
· Janna Christine Schaafsma, daughter of Soldotna residents Mark and Sue Schaafsma and a 2002 graduate of Soldotna High School, graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in nursing and a minor in psychology from Seattle Pacific University on June 10.
Out of nearly 800 graduates receiving bachelor’s degrees, Schaafsma was awarded the President’s Citation, an award given each year to one graduating baccalaureate student who has adhered to the ideals of the university and demonstrated the highest academic achievement in this context. University President Philip Eaton acknowledged Schaafsma’s outstanding academic, athletic and student leadership achievements during her four years at the university.
Engler gets MDA achievement award
Summer Engler, originally of Sterling, has been named recipient of the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s 2006 Personal Achievement Award for Alaska. Engler, 22, was selected for the award because of her outstanding academic record and leadership in high school and college.
MDA annually recognizes the accomplishments and community service of people with any of the neuromuscular diseases in MDA’s program. Engler has been diagnosed with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and myasthenia gravis, a disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, resulting in muscle fatigue and weakness.
Engler is a student at the University of Alaska Anchorage, majoring in biology and pursuing a career as a physician. She is a volunteer at Providence Alaska Medical Center, is the founding UAA Premed Club president and attended the University of Washington’s Summer Medical-Dental Education Program last year.
She graduated as valedictorian at Skyview High School in 2002, and is in the Honors Program at UAA. She is the daughter of Gary and Lori Engler of Sterling.
Students named achieve academic merit
· The following students were named to the dean’s and chancellor’s lists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks for the spring 2006 semester. Students achieving a 4.0 grade point average are placed on the chancellor’s list, while those receiving a GPA between 3.5 and 3.99 are named to the dean’s list:
Dean’s list — Casey L. Adamson, Kenai; Larissa G. Cochran, Kenai; John E. Duncan, Kenai; Skyler K. Gallien, Kenai; Ashley M. Jones, Kenai; Shelah A. Moreno-Jones, Kenai; Nansen H. Olson, Kenai; Jennifer L. Miller, Nikiski; and April E. Jaillet, Soldotna.
Chancellor’s list — Amy R. Rask, Kenai; Clarissa M. Ribbens, Kenai; Tess E. Caswell, Soldotna; Elisabeth R. Habermann, Soldotna; Sarah M. Youngren, Soldotna; and Caitlin N. Zimpelmann, Soldotna.
· The following students were named to the dean’s list at the University of Idaho in Moscow. To be eligible, students must achieve a GPA of 3.5 or better in 12 or more graded credit hours during one semester: Jessica Anne Wiggins, Kenai; Shannon Leah Hohl and Kaitlan Nicole Peterson, Seward; Elisha Marie Tarries and Sarah Ann Todd, Soldotna; and Clayton Winifield Harrison, Sterling.
Students shine in leadership program
The ninth annual Alaska Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute was conducted June 16-20 in Anchorage, where 37 Alaska youth ages 13 to 21 spent five days learning a variety of critical thinking, research and collaboration skills and doing service projects, like park cleanup and working with day camp children.
After the PYLI training, students return to their schools and communities to apply their leadership skills and are asked to perform 10 hours of volunteer service to improve their community. Those completing their 10 hours of volunteer service will graduate from PYLI on Oct. 28, National Make A Difference Day.
Participants from the Kenai Peninsula are: Leilani Brooks, Skyview High School, Soldotna; Casey Coupchiak, Kenai High School, Kenai; Marquee Lucas, Skyview High School, Soldotna; Tyler E. Mabrey, Kenai High School, Kenai; Lee Ann Magiera, Kenai High School, Kenai; and Jessica Samskar, Kenai High School, Kenai.
Student gets scholarship
Emma Westerman, daughter of David Westerman and Terri Tobias of Soldotna, received a $2,000 two-year President’s Scholarship for the 2006-07 school year at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. She attended Skyview High School, where she was in the National Honors Society and made the National Honor Roll.
The President’s Scholarship is awarded to approximately the top 8 to 10 percent of incoming freshmen and transfer students and is based on superior academic achievement.