North Rowan Elementary

The following students were selected as Good Citizens at North Rowan Elementary School for the month of May based on the character trait perseverance:

Pre-k and kindergarten: Edgar Pleitez, Jayden Riddle, Aidan Canada, Katelyn Cagle, Ivy Huffman, Sa’mierra Macklin, Jordan Grant, Elsie Hinson, Da’Ziyon Carpenter, Alyssa Newby, Xavier Frazier, Logan Cantu, Sh’zion Horton, Logan Miller, Alexis Newby and Zayden Gillespie.

First grade: Noah Vaughn, Ian Okahara, Dariya Carpenter, Pajai Herh, Kenneth Lezote, TeAnna Krider, Sky Medley, Dontay Jefferies, Asharia Fowler, Ayari Etheridge, Madison Taylor, Julianna Raby, Gage Truman and Mohagany Allen.

Second grade: Jude Jones, Zakiya Oglesby, Abby Krajnyak, Elijiah Young, Lucy Jones, Jakari Tucker, Christopher Castillo, Alona Ellis, Julieanne Trapp, Payton Patterson, Kylar Dill, Karen Espinal, Jacory Patterson and Kerstin Neal.

Third grade: Eziekiel Fortner, Natalie Nunez, Bryson Lyons, Blake Vaughn, Jayden Davis, Presten Pratt, Quamauri Daugherty, Kamiyah Cathcart, Cristian Valois, Micah Jones, Jonathan Goad and Roseanna Laxton.

Fourth grade: Connor Schwendinger, Amya Watson, Abigail Roman, Marissa Craig, Elias Perez, Aaliyah Smith, Justin Pence, Carolina Pirhala, Jasmin Espinal, Dakota Anderson, Jesse Wiand, Anders Thompson and Abdulla Mohammed.

Fifth grade: Michael Geter, Olivia Patterson, Dwayne Carter, Brooklyn Weber, Natalie Olson, Zyanna Byrd, Ka’nijiea McCoy, Faith Justice and Esam Abdulrub.

Two selected for Communities in Schools scholarships

Two Rowan-Salisbury high school students have been chosen as winners of scholarships sponsored by Communities in Schools of Rowan County.  The scholarships are named in honor of Vicky Slusser, who retired in 2015 after leading the organization for 17 years.

Graduating seniors who attended one or more of the seven local schools served by Communities in Schools are eligible to apply.

Jorge Jaimes Benitez graduates from Rowan County Early College with both his high school diploma and an associate degree. He attended Hanford Dole Elementary School and North Rowan Middle School, both of which are served by Communities in Schools. Benitez will attend East Carolina University in the fall.

Paola Lisette Rivera graduates as valedictorian at East Rowan High School. She also attended Hanford Dole Elementary School. Rivera will attend North Carolina State University this fall.

The mission of Communities in Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and succeed in life.

Communities in Schools of Rowan County is a United Way agency.

Scholarships presented

State Employees’ Credit Union members through the SECU Foundation presented two $10,000 four-year college scholarship to local high school students.

They are Connor Henderson, a senior at South Rowan High School, and Savanna Hagler, a senior at A.L. Brown High School. Hagler will study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Henderson will study at Western Carolina University.

Funded by Credit Union members and given based on SECU’s philosophy of “people helping people,” the scholarship recognizes the recipient’s community involvement, leadership skills, character and integrity, as well as scholastic achievement. The scholarship is provided for tuition and university-approved education expenses over eight consecutive semesters.

“Through the SECU Foundation ‘People Helping People’ Scholarship program, Credit Union members have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of so many North Carolina high school seniors, helping them pursue and fulfill their educational goals through the University of North Carolina System,” said Tracy Bridgers, a SECU local Advisory Board member.

Since its inception in 2005, the SECU Foundation scholarship program has provided over $44 million in scholarships for North Carolina high school seniors.

Brevard College

The following students have made the Dean’s List for the spring semester: Amber Bledsoe, Hannah Elmore and Catherine Whitley, all of Salisbury.
To qualify for the Dean’s list, students must be enrolled in at least 12 semester hours and have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

Michael Anton, of Woodleaf, was named to the spring honor roll. Students who qualify for the honor roll must be enrolled in at least 12 semester hours and have a GPA of 3.0 to 3.49.

On Saturday, May 6, Brevard College students proudly crossed the stage to claim their diplomas. The 164th Commencement Ceremony was duly held on the Betty Neale Academic Quadrangle, and despite the unusually chilled temperatures, drew a crowd of family and friends.

Local graduates include: Parker Wayne Hubbard, of China Grove, and Amber Cherelle Bledsoe, of Salisbury.

Brevard College is committed to an experiential liberal arts education that encourages personal growth and inspires artistic, intellectual and social action.
Clemson University

Morgan Elizabeth Tadlock of China Grove recently graduated from Clemson University with a master of arts in communication, technology and society.