Faith Academy Class of 2017 on their way

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Faith Academy Class of 2017 graduated Friday, May 12, in ceremonies at Hill Country Fellowship in Burnet, ready to meet the world with diplomas in hand.

It was at the May 9 Senior Dinner that they learned the valedictorian would be Kristina Lane and salutatorian, Sophie McCannon.

They led a group of that included five other Highest Honor Graduates with grade point averages of 97 or higher: Abby Seymour, Casey Sellers, Jared Rutherford, Dean Fairleigh, and Abby Mueller. The class Honor Graduates, with grades of 93-96.4 were Addison Floyd, Laura Benac and Sydney Ward.

School Administrator Joe Rispoli presented students with parting gifts, copies of the Timothy Keller book “The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism,” to guide them in carrying their faith into “a very dark world.”

“Now, they own not only their educations, but they own their faith as well,” he said. “This school exists not as a bubble, but as a shield of the Christian world view.”

A documentary film produced by Javier Smith provided the résumé of fun for the seniors.

In a class of 39 students, 26 seniors were awarded scholarships at the dinner amounting to more than $1,124, 318. Many of those scholarships came from local sources.

Ceila Merrill, sponsor of the Rotary Interact Club, praised the work of club members in devoting time to the community, including serving weekly at Joseph's Pantry in Granite Shoals. She presented $2,000 scholarships from the Marble Falls Rotary Club to Casey Sellers and McCannon.

Among other local scholarships highlighted was the $2,000 scholarship from Lake Buchanan Conservation Corporation (LBCC) for Averi Wukasch's plan for a business that would benefit the environment.

The school recognized it's largest number of Legacy Graduates. They were: McCannon, Lane, Sellers, Wukasch, Smith, Jaimeson Sudderth, Jared Rutherford, Braden McBryde, Kelsey Kwan, Collin Hubbell, Abby Dillard, Rachel Allee, Dean Fairleigh, Katie Hughes, Autumn Norris, Jessica Beckner, Marissa Perea, Danyelle Morris and Sydney Ward.

Other scholarship recipients, their awards and other awards to those above were reported by Counselor Nicole Poage:

Allee—Hill Country Community Foundation (HCCF) Scholarship, $700; University of Mary Hardin Baylor Honor Scholarship for $20,000 over 4 years; Crusader Scholarship for $23,632 over 4 years, and Founders Scholarship for $15,384 over 4 years.

Benac—HCCF Scholarship, $850.

Gage Blair—HCCF Scholarship, $500.

Addison Christopher—HCCF Scholarship, $500.

Isabella Clendennen—HCCF Scholarship, $700, and Abilene Christian University’s A.B. Barret Award for Academic Excellence, valued at $54,000 over four years.

Kameron Ellenberger—Cooper Ray DeSpain Memorial Scholarship, $1,000;

Michael Wright Family Bowling Scholarship, $1,000; Hardin Simmons University’s Texas Big Country Scholarship, $44,000 over four years.

Dean Fairleigh—Blazing Star Masonic Lodge #413 Scholarship, $1,000; HCCF Scholarship, $850.

Floyd—Priest Holmes Foundation Scholarship-San Antonio/Austin Chapter, $2500; Professional Athletes Foundation Student Scholarship, $517; University of Mary-Hardin Baylor Crusader Scholarship, $20,456 over four years; Leadership Scholarship for $10,000 over four years, and Honor Scholarship for $20,000 over 4 years.

Kaitlyn Hughes—HCCF Scholarship, $700, and Hardin-Simmons University Texas Big Country Scholarship, $44,000 over four years.

Dawson Jordan—HCCF Scholarship for $500.

Caleb Kirby—Westmont University’s Scholarship for $8,000.

Kelsey Kwan—HCCF Scholarship for $700.

Lane—Burnet County Republican Women, $1,000; DAR Good Citizen’s Award, $250, and Abilene Christian University’s Royce L. Money Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence, valued at $60,000 over four years.

McBryde—HCCF Scholarship for $850.

McCannon—HCCF Scholarship, $950; Abilene Christian University Presidential Scholarship, combined with a Track Scholarship totaling $114,560 over four years, and a half-tuition scholarship valued at more than $65,000 over four years.

Allison Metzger—Kiwanis Club of Marble Falls Scholarship, $2,000; Clyde and Nance Griffin Scholarship, $1,000; Mid-America Christian University’s Academic Scholarship, $24,000, and Mid-America Christian’s Basketball Scholarship, $16,000 over 4 years.

Abigail Mueller—HCCF Scholarship. $950 and University of North Texas’s Excellence Scholarship totaling $24,000 over 4 years.

Preston Richardson—Southern Nazarene University’s Athletic Scholarship in the amount of $68,000 over 4 years.

Rutherford—Marble Falls 4-H Club Scholarship, $500; Lan Nguyen, MD, Memorial Scholarship of the Burnet/Lampasas County Medical Society, $1,000;

Abilene Christian University’s Presidential Scholar Award to Study Abroad for $2,000, ACU Honors College Scholarship for $16,000 over four years and a Presidential Scholarship for half-tuition valued at more than $65,000 over four years.

Casey Sellers—National Wild Turkey Federation for $500; 2014 Kiwanis Club of Marble Falls Sophomore of the Year Scholarship, $250; HCCF Scholarship for $550, and Baylor University’s Deans’ Gold Scholarship, $60,000 over four years, and The Baylor Scholarship for $42,480 over 4 years.

Abigail Seymour—Hill Country MGA’s Scholarship honoring Buddy Schrader, $2,000, and Houston Baptist University’s Founder’s Scholarship totaling $84,000 over 4 years.

Smith—HCCF Scholarship for $700.

Elise Tisdel—First United Methodist Church of Marble Falls Scholarship, $1,000; HCCF Scholarship, $450, and Southwestern University’s McKenzie Scholar Award, $88,000 over four years.

Trey Vento—Central Texas College High School Scholarship for Graduates for 12-hours free tuition, which totals approximately $1,356.

Ward—HCCF Scholarship, $850, and Southwestern University’s Mood Scholarship Award, totaling $100,000 over 4 years.

Wukasch—St. Peter’s Lutheran Scholarship for $1,000, Judge Greenleaf Fisk Scholarship for $700, and Sul Ross University’s C.W. Wobbler Willbanks Memorial Scholarship $450.