Class notes
By Times Staff Writer
Published May 31, 2005
Second Lt. Amy D. Stewart, a junior at Clearwater High, received an Achievement Medal and Certificate Award and $50 cash from the Military Officers Association of America in the presence of her class. Her instructor, retired Marine Corps Col. Richard Davis, and retired Navy Cmdr. Victor Wood, president of the Clearwater chapter of MOAA, presented the medal.
The following seniors received $2,500 scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship program: Hayley Dirscherl, Kimberly A. Beers and Ryan Mortensen-Reed of Palm Harbor University High's International Baccalaureate program; and Caitlin E. Carey of East Lake High.
The following Palm Harbor University High seniors received college-sponsored National Merit scholarships: Sean W. Armil (University of Florida), Andrew J. Preston (Vanderbilt University), Jessica K. Brady (Northwestern University) and Colin E. Zehnder (University of Florida). East Lake High senior Fangso Liu received a college-sponsored scholarship to the University of Southern California.
Megan Bogataj, a senior at Largo High, received the 2005 Ernest J. Freeman Jr. Memorial scholarship from Gulf Beach Masonic Lodge 291 in Madeira Beach. The scholarship is an annual stipend of $500 for up to four years of college. Bogataj is a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club and Principal's Advisory Committee. She has also been a coach for the girls junior varsity volleyball team. She plans to attend the University of Central Florida majoring in broadcasting and media.
Stephanie Shields, a 2005 graduate of Countryside High, received a $3,000 four-year scholarship from the North Pinellas County Retired Educators Association. She plans to attend the University of South Florida.
Adora B. Williams, a senior at Clearwater High, received a second-place $500 scholarship from the Florida Association of Realtors in its annual scholarship essay contest.
Six students at Calvary Christian High in Clearwater tied for valedictorian honors. Jenny Adzima, Amanda Bugel, Brittany Fix, Melissa Gryn, Scott Jordan and Tyler McClintock had a grade point average of 4.6. They earned 200 college credits, logged 2,100 hours of community service and had an average SAT score of 1,390. Adzima will attend Liberty University, Bugel and Fix will attend the University of Florida, Gryn will attend Clemson University, Jordan will attend the University of Miami and McClintock will attend Johns Hopkins University.
The school's graduating class of 33 students had an overall GPA of 3.79, 500 college credits and scholarships totaling more than $1.2-million.
Taylor Pollock, a 1996 graduate of Dunedin High, received a medical degree from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons on May 18. She received her bachelor of arts cum laude from Harvard University in 2000. She will be a resident in obstetrics and gynecology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, the teaching hospital for Washington University.
Marcella "Marcie" Vinciguerra graduated April 30 from the University of Florida with a master of science in business, with a major in decision and information sciences. She is a 2000 graduate of Clearwater High.
Jessica Lynn Hurak graduated cum laude from the University of Central Florida on May 5. She received a scholarship from the Altamonte Springs Police Department and did an internship with the U.S. Customs Service. She will enter the master's program at UCF in criminal justice. She is a graduate of Tarpon Springs High.
Daniel S. MacDougall received his bachelor of science in industrial engineering from the University of Wisconsin at Madison on May 15. He was the 2001 salutatorian at Tarpon Springs High. MacDougall was a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., and transferred to Wisconsin after his freshman year. MacDougall plans to pursue an engineering career and will officiate ice hockey for the U.S. Hockey League.
Elizabeth A. Holmes of Palm Harbor was inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Holmes is majoring in hospitality administration at Florida State University and is on the dean's list. She is a 2004 summa cum laude graduate of Palm Harbor University High.
Max Michael Houllis of Tarpon Springs graduated from Webber International University in Babson Park on April 30 with a bachelor of science in general business studies. He was also a member of the Warriors football team.
Dawn Marie Reynolds was inducted into the Beta Theta Omega chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at St. Petersburg College on March 1. Reynolds of Clearwater is majoring in computer science.
Timothy Falls , a teacher at Palm Harbor University High, will attend the Supreme Court Summer Institute in Washington, D.C., in June. Sixty teachers will participate in the program after a competitive application process. The institute, open to teachers who demonstrate outstanding ability in the field of legal and civic education, is co-sponsored by Street Law and the Supreme Court Historical Society.
Michael Shutler, a student at Countryside High, will attend Presidential Classroom's National Security in a Democracy program in Washington, D.C., at the end of June. During the weeklong program, Presidential Classroom scholars interact with members of Congress, presidential appointees, senior military officials, and top business leaders and journalists.
Patrick J. DiVenuti of Largo earned an Eagle Scout ranking Feb. 14 as a member of Troop 313. For his Eagle Scout project, Patrick removed existing carpet and linoleum and installed new hardwood floors, carpet and ceramic tile at the Community Learning Center in Clearwater, a nonprofit literacy organization.
Katie Polin of Oldsmar has been accepted to attend the Rockette Summer Intensive at Radio City Music Hall. Polin, a student at STEPS School of Dance in Clearwater, has been dancing since the age of 3. She trained in jazz, tap and ballet under the direction of Maureen Gibson and auditioned in January.
The following Junior Girl Scouts earned a bronze award for their community service work: Bryana Armstrong, Keanna Binney, Destinie Binney, Lacia Bohnsack, Allyson Clark, Gina Dozois, Sarah Hall, Courtney Halon, Kayla Jewell, Lay Kawalec, Alexandra Kitchen, Jaclyn Liss, Ashley Morelli, Stephanie Perry and Rachel Picker. The award requires at least 15 hours of work. The girls helped clean up Honeymoon Island and Hammock Park and made and sold dog biscuits to benefit the SPCA of Pinellas County.