Lapeer East High School hosts 2009 Senior Honors Convocation on Monday, June 1

Merit based college and NROTC scholarships with a potential worth of more than $1.5 million to 2009 graduates of Lapeer East High School were recognized at the 2009 Senior Honors Convocation in the Lapeer East auditorium on Monday, June 1st.

(Photo at left: L-R: Alexa Jones: Outstanding Service, Kristen Tomczyk: Patricia Coulter Outstanding Female Athlete, Bryan Bush: Outstanding Senior, Mike Carson: Doug Henley Outstanding Male Athlete, Ashley Hofert: Outstanding Leadership.)

About 130 graduating seniors from Lapeer East were honored for high academic achievement, college awarded scholarships, special awards and distinctions and local scholarship awards.

The Top Ten graduating seniors were also honored, as well as five students who received awards for Outstanding Achievement.

Top ten students were: Bryan Bush, Heather Dix, Ashley Gayheart, Amanda Harvey, Ashley Hofert, Alexa Jones, Samuel Kaczmarek, Danielle Robson, Ellen Tunison and Erin Weisler.

Bryan Bush was honored as the Outstanding Graduating Senior/Christopher Dirks Memorial Scholarship winner; Mike Carson received both the Outstanding Male Athlete and the Outstanding Citizenship/Webster Scholarship; Kristen Tomczyk was honored as the Outstanding Female Athlete/Patricia Coulter Award; and Alexa Jones received the Outstanding Service Award/Henning Scholarship; and Ashley Hofert received the Outstanding Leadership/Webster Scholarship award.

Students received and accepted scholarships to: Albion College, Baker College, Central Michigan University, Concordia University, Eastern Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Iowa Wesleyan College, Kettering University, Lincoln College of Technology, Marygrove College, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Mott Community College, Northern Michigan University, Notre Dame College, Oakland University, Olivet Nazarene University, Rochester College, Saginaw Valley State University, Saint Mary’s College, Savannah College of Art & Design, Tiffin University, University of Detroit Mercy, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Flint, University of Notre Dame, Wayne State University.

One of the biggest awards of the night went to Mark Stefani, a High Honors graduate, who received a $180,000 Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship to attend Old Dominion University.

Students also accepted more than $50,000 in local scholarship grants, including; $8000, Lapeer Regional Medical Center; $4,000, ZF Lemforder Corporation; $2,500, Philip Hart Memorial; $1,000, Michigan Elks Association, Lapeer Fraternal Order of Eagles, Lapeer Education Association, Lapeer County Democratic Party/Cicchini Memorial, Lapeer County Bar Association, Lapeer Alumni Association, Ed and Bonnie LaClair Scholarship, Clarke B. Adams Memorial Scholarship (four-$1,000 awards), American Legion, Sam Walton Community Scholarship; $750, Patricia Coulter Outstanding Female Athlete, Lapeer East Boosters (two awards), Douglas Henley Memorial Male Outstanding Athlete; $700, Polish Legion of American Veterans; $500, Carl Schilbe Memorial Scholarship, Rod Parsch Memorial, Outstanding Service/Henning Scholarship, Outstanding Senior/Christopher Dirks Memorial, Outstanding Leader/Webster Scholarship, Outstanding Citizen/Webster Scholarship, Maine Rebekah Lodge #319 Scholarship (four awards), Marjorie L. Corey/Hadley Chamber of Commerce Scholarship, Metamora Area Youth Development Association, Mark Robbins Memorial (three awards), Lapeer Odd Fellows, Lapeer Knights of Columbus (three awards), Lapeer Kiwanis, Lapeer Community, Lapeer Gold and Diamond Scholarship, Lapeer Steelers Youth Football, Lapeer County Republican Party, Jacob Johnson Memorial (four awards), Irwin Schickler (two awards), Metro League Student Council, Don Hotchkiss Memorial, Debbie Louis Courage Award (three awards), Clarke B. Adams Memorial; $300, Technical Center’s Teachers Association Scholarship; $250, W. Gordon Hall Memorial, Hadley-Murphy PTC, Lapeer County Family Community Education; Lapeer Rotary Award (one computer).

“We have an incredibly generous community that is committed to supporting our students,” said Lapeer East Counselor Susan Wilmers. “I urge students each year to apply early and often to take maximum benefit of so many wonderful scholarships and grants.”