Twenty-three of Princeton’s finest scholars were recently recognized and celebrated at the 38th annual School Board Scholars Banquet.
“This event was established in 1986. At that time, the community had a task force focused on encouraging greater academic excellence,” Superintendent Ben Barton said. “This group recommended a creation of a scholars banquet to recognize student achievement.”
Seniors and eighth graders in the top 5% of their respective classes were invited to attend the banquet to be celebrated for their academic achievements by the Princeton School Board on Wednesday, May 1, with a dinner and awards ceremony where each student received a plaque.
“Our School Board Scholars criteria was established as seniors whose grade point average ranks them in the top 5% of their class after 11 trimesters of high school, and eighth grade students who have achieved top ranking based on academic achievement at the middle school,” Barton said.
This year, 11 seniors and 12 eighth graders were honored with the award.
The seniors that were recognized were Graham Anderson, Nicholas Andres, Anna Hamvas, Bryce Haubenschild, Emily Jernander, Emily Lindgren, Kaden Mai, Marrisa Mellgren, Hannah Mongeau, and Ethan Wagner.
The eighth graders that were recognized were Allison Alferness, Amelia Berning, Dasia Carlsen, Harper Close, Madeline Dockendorf. Matthew Hallberg, Danika Harsch, Willa Kersten, Ella Lukkari, Emersyn Monroe, Abigail Morrow, and Elsa Storbakken.
“It is rewarding to see you and all you have accomplished with these great opportunities,” Barton said. “Students, we celebrate your achievements today, and we look forward to seeing the impact you will make for tomorrow.”
At the beginning of the ceremony, Barton introduced the hosts of the event, the Princeton School Board members.
Princeton School Board consists of seven community members elected to their positions and two student school board members from the high school. The school board members are Sue VanHooser, Chad Young, Deb Ulm, Eric Minks, Dawn Bourdeaux, Eric Strandberg, and Melissa Lynch. The two student members are Ellie Lynch and Lena Whitney.
“We are very fortunate to have such dedicated and student focused school board members,” Barton said.
Barton then took the time to thank the families of the students at the event for helping them reach this achievement.
“Those of us who are parents know that student excellence does not just happen without strong support of families to encourage students to set high standards,” Barton said. “Families, thank you for sending us such wonderful and incredible students. Scholars, remember to always thank your families and your teachers for their great support.”
Before passing the microphone over to the school board speaker of the evening, Barton shared with the students and families in attendance that the school board is celebrating their academic achievements and their abilities to shape the future through the district’s “Habits of a Tiger.”
“Today we are not only celebrating your academic achievements, but also your potential to shape the future. Each of you has demonstrated the exceptional qualities of what we call ‘Habits of a Tiger.’ These habits are not just a testament to your capabilities, but also for your journey ahead,” Barton said.
The Habits of a Tiger include the skills of critical thinking, leadership, communication, self-awareness, and empathy.
School Board member Melissa Lynch then took to the stage to share several pieces of advice to the students at the ceremony.
“What can I say to make a positive difference in your academic journey? After some reflection, I decided on (four) lessons that I picked up along the way that I didn’t learn in the classroom,” Lynch said.
The first lesson she shared with the students was to be kind, both to others as well as yourself.
“Be kind, even when it’s not easy. Being kind and being empathetic is more important than any A you will ever receive,” Lynch said. “Be kind to yourself. Don’t participate in negative self-talk.… It’s hard to be happy when someone is mean to you all the time. Your attitude will determine your outcome more than your ability will.”
Lynch’s second and third pieces of advice were to remind the students to not be afraid to ask for help and to accept change.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help or be wrong. Part of life is taking responsibility for yourself and owning your mistakes,” Lynch said. “Get comfortable with change, it’s everywhere.”
Lastly, Lynch reminded the students that they are enough and that it is important for them to take care of themselves.
“You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be right. You don’t have to know everything. You don’t have to be the best. You are enough,” Lynch said. “You will fail and you will get back up again. But the most important ‘don’t’ is don’t give up. Take care of yourself. Seek and ask for help when you need it.”
Following Lynch’s speech, Princeton Middle School Principal Charlie Bakker and Princeton High School Principal Ryan Jensen each took to the stage to announce the names of each student in their respective schools receiving the award.
The evening concluded with photos of the students, and each student took home a plant that was used as a centerpiece during the event.
Reach Chloe Smith at chloe.smith@apgecm.com
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