By HOLLY GASKILL

Just days before their formal commencement ceremony, the Bluffton High School Class of 2023 was honored for their accomplishments and continuing education. 

The Bluffton High School Class of 2023 participated in an annual school tradition Wednesday morning — following their senior awards ceremony (shown left) the students gather for a photo tossing their caps.

The annual Class Day program recognized the students’ academic achievements, awards and scholarships, and athletic accomplishments. 

Among the students honor were: 

Cole Arnett — P.A. Allen Memorial Scholarship, academic honors 

Lydia Athan — Bridget Memorial Scholarship and outstanding performance in student publications, academic honors 

Chanceler Baldauf — academic and technical honors

Emma Baumgartner — Jean and Joe W. Gilliam Scholarship, academic honors

Sam Baumgartner — Ronald E. DeWitt Memorial Scholarship, Athletic Boosters Scholarship, Outstanding Athlete and academic honors

Marissa Bennett — academic honors

Lilly Bowman — Brickley Farm Foundation Scholarship, Robert E. Pence Work Based Learning Scholarship, Athletic Boosters Scholarship, outstanding performance in work-based learning and academic honors

Madison Bowman — Mary Elizabeth Steiner Scholarship and academic honors

Karlie Brown — Indiana 4-H Foundation Scholarship, Forrest D. Ramseyer Memorial Scholarship, Athletic Boosters Scholarship and academic honors

Sarah Bueter — Irene W. and Fred Park Scholarship, Bluffton-Harrison Elementary Staff Scholarship, Forrest D. Ramseyer Memorial Scholarship, William J. Phyllis (Zehr) Stogdill Memorial Scholarship, outstanding performance in physics, and academic honors

Caroline Buskirk — Diana D. Captain Scholarship, Fryback Memorial Scholarship, S.M.A.D. Award, BHS 50 Yr. Legacy Scholarship, Lou Ann C. Stogdill Fine Arts Memorial Scholarship, outstanding performance in economics and academic honors

Bluffton High School recognized 34 seniors for graduating with a GPA of 3.6 or higher. Shown are (front, left) Kiana Coleman, Kenlie Thomas, Caroline Buskirk, Evie Schantz, Mallory Craighead, Ella Redick, Lauren Reif, Megan Patch, Sarah Bueter and Emma Baumgartner; (second row, left) Lilly King, Kathryn Miller, Isaac Gerber, Sam Baumgartner, Logan Reifsteck, Cole Arnett, Max Worth, David Pence and Erica Hartman; (third row, left) Sydney Vitz, Darren Early, Olivia Priester, Lydia Athan, Levi Kahn, Nolan Phuong, Austin Rupel, Josie Platt and Isabel Castro; (back, left) Nova Lewis, Kaylee Triplett, Annika Linderwell, Karlie Brown, Kaitlyn Byrd and Preston Daugherty. (Photos by Holly Gaskill)

Kaitlyn Byrd — Indiana Technical Honors

Isabel Castro — academic honors

Courtney Cobb — Gaylord and Crystal Mounsey Scholarship

Kiana Coleman — S.M.A.D. Award, LiGHT the Way Gifting Scholarship and academic honors

Riley Couch — academic honors

Mallory Craighead — Lions Club Scholarship, Claude and Helen Decker Scholarship, and academic honors

Mackenzie Cummins — The Scott Hanni Memorial Scholarship and academic honors 

Austin Davis — Athletic Boosters Scholarship

Preston Daugherty — academic honors

Darren Early — academic honors

Isaac Gerber — Ralph and Sandy Garcia Award, Bluffton-Harrison PTO Scholarship, and academic honors

Lucas Grady — academic and technical honors 

Ashtyn Guntle — academic and technical honors

Adrienne Hall — Bluffton-Harrison Elementary Staff Scholarship

Simon Hanes — Perserverance Award, Wells County Turnaround Scholarship, and academic and technical honors

Erica Hartman — Joe Smekens Tiger Spirit Scholarship and academic honors

Ethan Hunt — academic and technical honors

​​Savanna Jessup — academic honors 

Levi Kahn — K. Robert Ehrman Trade/Technical Scholarship, Margaret J. McPheeters and Nancy Sprague Williams Trade/Technical Scholarship, Wells County Pilots Association Scholarship, outstanding performance in an internship, and academic honors

Lillian King — Ronald E. DeWitt Memorial Scholarship, Athletic Boosters Scholarship and academic honors

Three seniors were presented with athletic circle “B” blankets in recognition of their athletic achievement, having received varsity letters for nine or more semesters. Pictured left is, Lily King, who received nine varsity letters, and Sam Baumgartner and Annika Linderwell, who both received 10 varsity letters.

Austin Lewis — K. Robert Ehrman Trade/Technical Scholarship and Jim Baker Award

Lyra Lewis — academic honors

Annika Linderwell — Psi Iota Xi Alpha Eta Award, Terry Burns Positive Tiger Award, Student Council Scholarship, Bluffton-Harrison PTO Scholarship, Forrest D. Ramseyer Memorial Scholarship, 2023 Rotary Scholar Athlete Award, outstanding performance in cadet teaching and academic honors

Kathryn Miller — academic honors

Blake Moser — Athletic Boosters Scholarship

Kennedy Nash — American Legion Women’s Auxilary Award and outstanding performance in culinary arts

Megan Patch — Athletic Boosters Scholarship, outstanding performance in quantitative reasoning, and academic and technical honors

David Pence — Painter-Webber Scholarship, outstanding performance in strategic marketing and academic honors

Seth Pfister — outstanding performance in business management

Nolan Phuong — academic honors

Drew Pressler — Sellers Family Memorial Scholarship for Manchester University, Athletic Boosters Scholarship, outstanding performance in quantitative reasoning, outstanding performance in weight training and academic honors

Olivia Priester — academic and technical honors

Paige Randall — academic honors

Ella Redick — outstanding performance in AP physics and academic honors

Lauren Reiff — Emschwiller Cup Award, Forrest D. Ramseyer Memorial Scholarship, Outstanding Athlete, outstanding performance in weight training and academic honors

Logan Reifsteck — Brickley Farm Foundation Scholarship, Janet Baker Memorial Scholarship, 2023 Rotary Scholar Athlete Award, Outstanding Student Scholarship, outstanding performance in government, outstanding performance in German 4 and academic honors

Austin Rupel — academic honors

Evie Schantz — Terry Burns Positive Tiger Award, Balamohan Family Scholarship, Painter-Webber Scholarship, Outstanding Student Scholarship, outstanding performance in quantitative reasoning, outstanding performance in English and academic honors

The Top 10 students for the Bluffton High School Class of 2023 are, front row from the left, Kenlie Thomas, Caroline Buskirk, Evie Schantz, Mallory Craighead, Ella Redick and Lauren Reif; and top row from the left, Isaac Gerber, Sam Baumgartner, Logan Reifsteck and Cole Arnett. (Photo by Holly Gaskill)

Jeremiah Schoonover — academic honors

Keegan Schwartz — James W. Stogdill Memorial Scholarship and academic honors

Lillian Sroufe — Beta Associate Chapter of Tri Kappa Art Award and academic honors

Kenlie Thomas — BHS 50 Yr. Legacy Scholarship; Harry and Dorothy Lindstrand, Bernard Hookanson and Phoebe Lindstrand Hookanson Memorial Scholarship; Edwina Patton Memorial Scholarship, outstanding performance in English, outstanding performance in physics and academic honors

Kenlie Thomas and Isaac Gerber are the salutatorian and valedictorian for the Class of 2023. They will both be giving speeches to their peers at commencement on Friday.

Kaylee Triplett — BHS 50 Yr. Legacy Scholarship and academic honors

Sophia Turmail — Gaylord and Crystal Mounsey Scholarship

Sydney Vitz — Sigma Phi Gamma Sorority Award and academic honors

Reese Walker — Adam Ault Memorial Scholarship

Cooper Worster — academic honors

Max Worth — Paul and Phyllis Dotterer Memorial Scholarship, outstanding performance in pre-calculus and calculus, and academic honors

holly@news-banner.com

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