MFHS scholarships total $2.4 million

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls High School Class of 2016 that graduated Saturday, May 28, earned more than $2.4 million in scholarships.

Among those were the full-tuition scholarship presented to William “Liam” Baskin, the valedictorian, and a coveted and elite National Merit Scholarship Program scholarship earned by Wiley Baskin, the salutatorian.

They, and third-ranked sister Terrill Baskin. were among the 28 Honor Graduates, making up the top 10 percent of their class.

“These students have worked hard to be at the top of their class and are to be commended for their efforts and dedication,” said MFHS Principal Manny Lunoff at a May 19 honors ceremony. “All of these students are guaranteed admission to any state college or university in the State of Texas. In addition, every one of these students has earned the University Interscholastic League Scholar Award.

“This was created to recognize and honor those students who have shown the ability and demonstrated the discipline necessary to perform academically and yet participate in extracurricular activities.”

They are Alyssa Anderson, William Baskin, Wiley Baskin, Terrill Baskin, Corey Bogue, Chloe Castro, Jackson Cox, Emily Cryer, Jared Edwards, Kimberley Fry, Britainy Fuss, Blaire Hambrick, Emma Hamm, Elizabeth Lane, Matthew Lewis, Ashley May, Katherine Mcalpin, Kaley Neal, Sarah Nelson, Kayla Nolen, Porter Oberle, Samantha Offutt, Siobhan Patterson, Andrew Rice, Aaron Riley, Griselda Rodriguez Villegas, Kelsie Tackitt and Nicole Wessels.

The Baskins and others among the Honor Graduates also were among 49 students receiving Lemmah A. Perry Memorial Scholarships (LAPMS), awards with a special history.

More than 200 awards at the May 19 scholarship presentation, amounting to more than $245,000, had been generated locally as individual memorials, through local clubs and organizations, area businesses, school clubs and professional educators’ organizations.

Some were presented tearfully, others with prideful smiles and all with applause. But, to all who knew the late Lemmah Perry, none was more typical of the spirit of support for education. Presentation of the Perry scholarships fell to County Judge James Oakley who serves on the board that administers her trust, now amounting to more than $900,000.

“She had a strong belief in education being the key to success and to a better life,” he said as he prepared to distribute the $2,000.

Before her death at the age of 86 in 2008, Perry had not only taught decades of Marble Falls fourth graders and served as a home economics teacher and yearbook sponsor in high school, she also had been a professor at Texas A&I University.

“Lemmah A. Perry was an outstanding teacher for over 33 years,” said Oakley. “Our community is blessed through her generosity.”

Applause for her legacy were exceeded only when students receiving military scholarships came forward.

Each of graduates is entitled to the G.I. Bill and other military scholarships which total for this group more than $900,000.

“These students are giving themselves the greatest gift by serving in the military and by dedicating themselves to the well-being of our country and its citizens,” said MFHS Principal Manny Lunoff.

All the recipients, with the exception of Brittany Fuss, will enter active duty. She will serve in the U.S. Naval Reserves until after graduation from The University of Texas Medical School.

The others are Army recruits Chris Carter and Vanessa Miller, Navy recruits Tiffany Van Story and Aaron Riley and Marine recruit, Jonathan Kroese.

Other scholarship honorees were Baylee Adams, Robert Atkinson, Ryan Becker, Emilee Beuershausen, Misael Botello Perez, Kaleb Burden, Katelyn Carter, Phillip Cassidy, Nydia Castro, Eric Cauble, Natalie Chapa, Leslie Cockerill, Mindy Cooksey, Tess Cryer, Kara Davis, Joshua Diaz, Reagan Eckert, Peyton Emery, Peyton Fishbeck, Marissa Flores, Noah Ganske, Evelyn Garcia, Anna Gomez, Alexia Gonzales, Sandra Goytia, Aaron Grubbs, Crisologo Hall, Reann Hall, Blaire Hambrick, Brianna Hamilton, Emma Hamm, Lauren Hatch, Macy Hoover, Katherine Jakubec, Jordan Jones, Cody Jukes, Sydnie King, Katherine Kirkpatrick, Kaley Koziel, Elizabeth Lane, Robyn Lashbrook, Sami Ledbetter, Matthew Lewis, Lina Lopez-Cristancho, Isabel Marichalar, Luis Martinez, Rosa Isela Martinez, Michaella Matcek. Tristan Mattingly, Madison McDaniel, Jacob Metcalf, Conner Metzler, Madison Morren, Ebby Morris, Salma Najera, Sarah Nelson, Kayla Nolen, Paxton Oberle, Macey O'Connor, Jessica Ortiz, Luis Osorio, Christopher Pennington, Riley Prochnow, Jeffery Ramey, Ethan Reed, Jared Reed, Kaitlyn Rhodes, Ariel Sanchez, Zoey Schoch, Natalie Schulz, Blakely Schwope, Kelsey Sconci, Emma Sharp, Ingrid Solorzano, Autumn Stabeno-Stone, Emma Taylor, Alyssa Tierra, Daniela Torres, Sabrina Tovar, Chantz Whitts and Shelbi Woods.