Students were Parker Bales; Hailey Bastin; Madison Becker; Austin Bray; Emmallee Bough; Campbell Cox; Bo Dilley; Kasey Etter; Emma Heacock; Crimson Hickman, valedictorian; Alexander Kush, salutatorian; Alaina Lambert; Justin Laver; Nathan Long; Patrick McGowin; Madeline Moscrip; Caroline Nesbit; Ava Pemberton; Demaree Publow; Marina Rautenkranz; Benjamin Selch; Michele Toloday; Jackson Turner; Garrett Wilson; and Elizabeth Zike.
(by Theressa Rynard)
On Friday, May 17, Martinsville Kiwanis sponsored a Recognition Banquet at the First United Methodist Church for the Martinsville High School top twenty-five graduating students. Kiwanis’ president, Mike Hankins, began the evening by welcoming students and their guests to the banquet. Following the welcome; dinner, prepared by Lisa James of Heavenly Helpings, was served.
After dinner, the evening’s program began with Rick McQueen giving a brief history of Kiwanis, which began in 1948. Kiwanis means ‘“we serve” and that is what the local club has been doing for the community ever since then including sponsoring this banquet for the top twenty-five students for sixty years beginning in 1964. Judge Pete Foley was then introduced as the evening’s guest speaker.
Judge Foley’s inspirational speech reminded students that, although they are strong in academics, they are still one person among millions. Therefore, he gave them three guidelines for positive achievement.
Number 1: Be yourself but do things that make you stretch for success.
Number 2: The path to life is not a straight line, but has lots of squiggly lines
so be ready to work through them,
Number 3: Success may not come until after several tries so keep trying.
McQueen then introduced each of the top twenty-five students, and Hankins presented each one with a “scholastic achievement” pin. Students introduced their guests, gave their plans for next year, and shared their inspiration for doing so well in school.