A total of 31 Siloam Springs High School students were recognized Thursday at the 43rd annual Chamber of Commerce Honor Graduate Luncheon held at Simmons Great Hall on the campus of John Brown University.
"We are incredibly proud of each of you, each person here, you have accomplished something very, very, very special," said Chamber CEO and President Arthur Hulbert in his opening remarks. "Today is only about one thing, it's about celebrating you."
The event took on a different feel than in previous years with honorees sitting with their families instead of together with their presenters because of health guidelines and social distancing. The event normally takes place in mid May around graduation week but was pushed back because of the covid-19 pandemic.
Students in the top 10 percent academically with 10 honors credits were recognized. Students with a GPA of at least 3.65 and one AP class were recognized as honor graduates. Students with at least a 3.90 GPA and 10 honors credits and three AP classes earned High Honors.
"It's incredibly impressive what you have done and we want to celebrate you," Hulbert said. "I want you to know you have an entire community supporting you, we believe in you and you have a super bright future."
Special speakers included Ed Erickson, vice president for academic affairs at John Brown University, and Siloam Springs High School principal Rob Lindley and vice principal Ross White.
"We are very proud of you guys," Lindley said. "It's not something that is easy to do. It's definitely a feather in your cap to persevere in the manner that you did throughout your high school career, especially that last semester when things didn't go exactly the way we planned. But there were challenges and you met them. They were rigorous and we are so proud that you did persevere throughout the pandemic. It proves that you as young men and women will meet the demands and expectations that are certain to face you in the upcoming future."
Students honored were:
Isalia Aragon*
Katherine Arrington*
Nathaniel Blair*
Lindsey Bolstad*
Tanner Broyles*
Dayse Castro*
Morgan Clupka*
Mason Cooper*
Tate Criner*
Taylor Davis
Mary Grace Green*
Abigail Herring*
Aliyah Hilbish
Nikkita Ho
Emma Hulbert*
Megan Jackson
Vanessa Ledeker
Lena Lor
Noah Maldanado
Rachel Mann
Kenia Martinez
Kaya-Ann Mason
Maggie Mathe*
Kimber McWhorter
Abigail Moody
Isaac Price
Micah Ritz*
Regan Sontag*
Drew Vachon
Ransom Van Asche*
Carson Wleklinski*
- Denotes high honors
-- Staff writer Graham Thomas contributed to this story.
