Rotary Academic All-Stars Named
May 20, 2020
The Atmore Rotary Club has named 150 area high school students as Academic All-Stars.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the in-person ceremony could not be held this year, and students were mailed a recognition packet.
The Academic All-Star program is open to students who attend Northview High School, Atmore Christian School, Escambia County High School or Escambia Academy. To be named an Academic All-Star, a student must have maintained at least a B average in every subject for each grading period of the school year, with at least one A for each grading period.
Those who have maintained this status from the 9th through the 12th grades, were honored as Four-Year Academic All-Stars and received a scholarship. The program excludes Northview students that are full-time dual enrolled.
The Rotary Club is presented over $15,000 in scholarships this year to 24 seniors. Each four year Senior Academic All Star received a scholarship for $900. The seniors who have been an Academic All Stars for three years received $650, two year seniors received $550, and first year seniors received $450.
Rotarian presented the Academic All-Star award to 11 students from Atmore Christian School, 15 from Escambia Academy, 23 from Escambia County High School in Atmore, and 101 students from Northview High School.
Those honored as Atmore Rotary Club Academic All Stars were:
(Four-Year Academic All-Stars are denoted with an asterisk.)
NORTHVIEW HIGH SCHOOL
9th Grade
Olan Drew Albritton
Clayton Mitchell Allen
Erich Webb Amerson
Leah Kalyn Anderson
Ryan Steven Andrews
Cheyeyo Dasan Bingham
Terrell Luke Bridges
Ethan Scott Collier
Presley Sheree Dortch
Drake Allen Driskell
Logan Taylor Faith
Ashlin Nevaeh Flowers
Caitlyn Sarah Gibson
Emma Sage Gilmore
Audrey Grace Goetter
William Cross Goslee
Mathew Braydon Harigel
Cayla Jocelyn Houston
Kayla Nicole Johnson
Zacharie Neil Jones
Shelby Lynn Kent
Trent Austin Knighten
Emily Grace Levins
Sarah Kennedy Long
Travis Houston Lowry
Hadassah Raquel Mascaro
Braeden O’Bryan McGhee
Megan T McGhee
Ruth Nicole Mobley
Kaia Kalifa Montgomery
Elanna T Morales
David Kaden Odom
Chase Randal Pugh
Torian Aljahnea Richardson
Leila Katherine Sanders
Dustin James Santinelli
Kara Elizabeth Santorelli
Alana Shelly
McKenna Rae Simmons
Jessica Faith Stabler
Kristopher Kole Stewart
Audrey Michelle Stuckey
Elijah-Dean Schuster Suratos
Preston Clay Wilson
Blake Richard Yoder
10th Grade
Anna Faith Adams
Evelyn Liya Alexander
John Blake Bashore
Hunter Shane Borelli
Madeline Carol Brown
Tereasia Siamone Burt
Shelby Nicole Cotita
Olivia Elizabeth Crews
Casandra Lynn Davis
Weslyn Elizabeth Dunn
Kaitlin Hope Gafford
Jason Zane Gurganus
Jon Noah Harigel
Sarah Margaret Hetrick
Jesse Allen Hughes
Grayson Elizabeth James
Ethan Riley Kilburn
Taylor Lynn Levins
Taylor Elaine McMinn
Torka M Mills
Logan Christopher Misenar
Makayla Shana Ramsey
Paige Alyssa Ross
Benjamin Charles Rowinsky
Sarah Jane Sconiers
Mia Rain Starns
Aliyah Laura Ann-Marie Walker
Addison Lee White
Lillian Joan Worden
11th Grade
Maggie Lauren Amerson
Sehoye Rose Buckley
Staci Brianna Colter
Alexis Madison Fleming
Leia Madison Grantham
Rylee Evan Huskey
Alexia Taylor Jeneske
Heather Lashea Knowles
David Allen Lamb
Taylor Brooke Lashley
Meredith McKinley McGhee
Kenna Jenae Redmond
Michael Jerome Sanders
Leland Stanford Seaton
12th Grade
Alexia Lee Broadhead
Keaton Adam Brown *
Logan Alexander Brown
Lacie Elizabeth Carter *
Garrick Neal Davis
Jason Nikijha Fayard
Kelli Shania Merchant
Kinzie Brooke Rackard *
Teriana Jayde Redmond
Kyle Austin Sconiers
Cloe Madison Smith
Elana Marie Ward
Chunqi Yang
ATMORE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
9th Grade
Elliott Classen
Claire Girby
Sydney Mast
Abigail Weber
10th Grade
Caeden Battles
11th Grade
Micah Mast
Reese White
Megan Wilson
12th Grade
Lylia Albritton *
Paxton Hobbs
Jace Weber *
ESCAMBIA ACADEMY
9th Grade
Tiffany Gookin
Abby-Kate Helton
Hannah Stone
10th Grade
Braden Crysell
Emma Hall
Brady Howell
Jamison Janes
Christopher Long
11th Grade
Tyler Ray Cloud
Sam Fields
Daughtry McGhee
Disha Patel
Austin Washington
12th Grade
Chase Bell
Gaines Tanner *
ESCAMBIA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
9th Grade
Hasten Dean
Breona Gaines
Tykeria Lambert
Ne’Kaylia Perryman
James Willis
10th Grade
Zakiyah Ford
Nyla Graves
Alyssa McMillan
Aniya Stots
Sheldon Williams
Jykeria Wilson
11th Grade
Samantha Forkins
Nadija Graves
Revontae McMillan
Shantel Richardson
Madison Simmons
Mia Simmons
12th Grade
Anna Forkins
Kirsten Hollinger
Kayley Johnson *
Brianna Lee
Divya Patel
Jaclynn Tucker
Organizers said if a student’s name appears on the list above and the student does not receive a packet by May 23, contact Cindy Lee, Academic All-Star coordinator, at cindydlee92@gmail.com or school administration to confirm s mailing address.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Top Of The Class Of 2020 From Each High School In Escambia County Honored
May 18, 2020
The top students from the Class of 2020 at each Escambia County high school have been named.
The Senior Academic Awards recognize outstanding academic achievement, represented by the top five students from each school with the highest GPAs at the end of the first semester of their senior year and the top student from each of the six academic disciplines.
The annual program was not held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but students still received their award, a personalized medallion and a Congressional certificate.
Honorees are listed below.
Escambia High School
Sophia Bonanno – Top Five
Juliette Bonnlander – Top Five
Emily Geiger – Top Five
Omar Mejia – Top Five
Brandon Mitra – Top Five
Maggie Kidder – CTE
Marena Garcia Vidal – English
Brianna Amos – Science
Rhapeepan Antrim – Foreign Language
Jacob Faulkner – Mathematics
Sophia Bonanno – Social Studies
Northview High School
Will Beach – Top Five
Keaton Brown – Top Five
Kayla McKillion – Top Five
Charleigh Parham – Top Five
Marissa Rothrock – Top Five
Sophia Cotita – English
Hailie Anderson – Science
Kinzie Rackard – Career & Technical
Colby Morris – Mathematics
Elana Ward – Social Studies
Pensacola High School
Jackson Allen – Top Five
Jordyn Ewing – Top Five
Oliver Norris – Top Five
Madison Payne – Top Five
Pearson Stack – Top Five
Aydin Lasure – Science
Patrick Imhof – English
Jackson Ruggles – Mathematics
Zaniah Heath – Career & Technical
Elliot Adler – Social Studies
Gregory Posey – Foreign Language
Pensacola IB Program
Sami Humeda – Top Five
Mehul Kapur – Top Five
Rachel Lee – Top Five
Lillian Petsinger – Top Five
Nicholas Skoufis – Top Five
Jett Zhang – Top Five and National Merit
Anna Huynh – National Merit
Katherine McCrackin – National Merit
Jane Chakraborty – National Merit
Jason Dela Cruz – Foreign Language
Samuel Duong – Science
Tanner Struck – Mathematics
Ella Griffith – Career & Technical
Chiara Kyn Estrada – English
Kyla Homewood – Social Studies
Pine Forest High School
Rhett Hardy – Top Five
Chloe Huffman – Top Five
Kayla Le – Top Five
Brandon Rode – Top Five
Journee Stevenson – Top Five
Joseph Hawkins – Science
Kameron Sasser – Foreign Language
Annessa Williams – Career & Technical
Brian Jones, Jr. – English
Miles Gibson – Mathematics
John Pinette – Social Studies
Tate High School
Catherine Alderman – Top Five
Nasim Boussarhane – Top Five
Melanie Letourneau – Top Five
Camille Macks – Top Five
Gabriel Pfeuffer-Ferguson – Top Five
Kade Boyd – English
Alexander Hicks – Foreign Language
Chase Jenkins – Social Studies
Samuel Shinnick – Science
Braden Boutwell – Mathematics
Tra’lon Gillis – Career & Technical
Washington High School
Lily Drasutis – Top Five
Katherine Grissett – Top Five
Emma Hill – Top Five
Lindsay Lurate – Top Five
Sierra Werdann – Top Five
Samantha Thompson – English
Darryl Brundidge, Jr. – Foreign Language
Tobias Johnson – Mathematics
Mary Lipham – Social Studies
Ansley Gill – Career & Technical
Liberty Tillman – Science
West Florida High School
Phillip Gindl – Top Five
Anna Hoang – Top Five
Katelyn McCaffrey – Top Five
Zander Preston – Top Five
Jayden Spiess – Top Five
Courtney Crosby – Science
Luke Whitwell – Social Studies
Haley Israelson – English
Tristan Cravatt – Career & Technical
Marcus Ingram – Mathematics
Luis Moya Marrero – Foreign Language
Northview Class Of 2020 Members Receive Extra Surprises
May 14, 2020
The Northview High School Class of 2020 visited the school Wednesday to return items like uniforms, and they also received a few extra surprises.
Seniors received items such as a “We Love Our NHS Chiefs Seniors” yard signs with their name, their cap and gown, a photo banner and a “SENIORS 2020 – The One Where They Were Quarantined” senior shirt. They also received academic awards.
The seniors remained in their vehicles for the event for proper social distancing.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Three Local Students Named National Merit $2,500 Scholarship Winners
May 13, 2020
Three Escambia County high school students have been named National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners.
They are:
- Anna Huynh of Cantonment is a student at Pensacola High School. She is considering a career in medical research.
- John P. Nusbaum of Pensacola is a student at Pensacola Catholic High School. He is considering a career in biomedical engineering.
- Jett H. Zhang of Pensacola is a student at Pensacola High School and is considering a career in activism.
The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Finalists in each state were judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.
Helping Each Other In A Time Of Need. Company Pays It Forward To Build New Porch For Century Woman.
May 8, 2020
Helen Mincy of Century lives in little wood frame house on a Century street that bears her last name.
When a powerful EF-3 tornado ripped through Century on the afternoon of February 16, 2016, Mincy Court was pretty much ground zero for the strongest winds — an estimated 152 mph.
Mincy is often front and center in Century, working to make sure the citizens are not forgotten. After the tornado, she worked tirelessly to make sure Century got the help it deserved. For Mincy, it was all about helping each other in a time of need.
When state lawmakers toured the damage a few days after the tornado, she met them in the street and made sure they heard what she had to say.
“I don’t have anything and government officials need to get out here and help us. We ain’t got nothing,” she told the late Senator Greg Evers as he put his arm around her shoulders.
Fast forward to 2020. Her little house stands tattered, paint peeling from the outside walls. And there was no stable front porch between the front door and the front steps. It was not a good situation for a woman as young at heart as Ms. Helen.
When Justyn Dulac heard about Mincy’s plight, he decided to step up and pay it forward through his company, DuLac Commercial Cleaning, and build her a new porch.
“Ms. Mincy would awake day to day stepping over rotten wood on her porch as she moved in and out of her house,” DuLac said. So he and a few partners decided to pay it forward and rebuild her porch.
Mincy literally danced with joy as her new porch came together.
“Remember friends, this is what uniting is all about,” DuLac said, “helping one another in a time of need.”
Pictured above and below: DuLac Commercial Cleaning and friends build a new front porch for Helen Mincy of Century. Photos by Trey Goldsmith for NorthEscambia.com. Pictured inset: Mincy talks with the late Senator Greg Evers after a February 2016 EF-3 tornado tore across Mincy Court. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
UWF Students In Need Benefit From Laptops, Food, Financial Help
May 3, 2020
As the COVID-19 virus challenges University of West Florida students in ways never imagined, the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Affairs is continuing its mission to support their personal development and academic success.
“Our students are facing a new normal and in this environment new challenges sometimes arise,” said Dr. Kim LeDuff, UWF chief diversity officer and vice president for the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Affairs. “We continue to serve our students by providing traditional support, but we also realize that students and their families may be facing unique challenges. Staff in my division have been very innovative and quite successful in their efforts to support our campus community at this difficult time.”
The division, in coordination with University Advancement, developed a campaign that in less than a month has raised nearly $19,000 in donations for the Student Emergency Support Fund. The fund assists students with emergent needs including housing, utilities, minor vehicle repairs and food. The division has partnered with the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to ensure students’ needs are met by leveraging its resources with the emergency grant funds offered through financial aid.
Case Management Services has assisted students with food through the Argo Pantry, emergency assistance, including housing, laptops and travel, connections to resources at UWF and in the community, along with communicating with faculty and staff about various situations which may impact students’ academic progress.
“Case Management has seen an increase in the number of students requesting financial assistance due to the recent impact of COVID-19,” said Dawn Rockey, assistant dean of students. “Students have reported an unexpected loss of income resulting in difficulty maintaining stable housing and acquiring food and other resources. We are thankful for the recent support from our UWF community and are currently in need of ongoing financial support and virtual donations.”
The Argo Pantry remains open on a limited basis from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. each Monday to provide food to students in need of assistance. Students unable to visit the pantry during that time frame are asked to contact Case Management to schedule an appointment at an alternative time. The Argo Pantry is in need of donations to provide students and accepts items through a wish list created on Amazon.
Cards From UWF Community Brighten Days For Nursing Home Residents
April 29, 2020
Greeting cards from the University of West Florida community recently brightened the days of residents in nursing homes, assisted facilities and senior centers throughout the Pensacola area.
The university mailed more than 3,500 cards to residents at 50 locations. Faculty and staff from 20 departments signed cards, featuring a pink camellia on the front and the words, “We hope you have a wonderful day! From your friends at the University of West Florida” written on the back.
“Residents are not only dealing with the fear of being infected by the COVID-19 virus, but they are doing so isolated from their loved ones,” said Betsy Bowers, vice president for finance and administration. “We sent these cards to let them know they are in our thoughts and UWF cares about them. We cherish the opportunity to brighten their day for just a few precious moments.”
Larissa Bell, activities director at Southern Oaks Care Center, said the residents appreciated the outpouring of support from the UWF community. She wrote a thank you note on behalf of Southern Oaks and its 190 residents.
“The residents and staff would like to thank each one of you that took the time to show your support and well wishes. It really brightened the residents’ day to know that they are not forgotten and are in your thoughts. They told me to tell you all thank you and may you all be blessed.”
Janet Suggs, activities director at Haven of Our Lady of Peace, expressed her gratitude in a note she wrote to the UWF community after the delivery cards to 110 Haven residents.
“The Haven residents and staff would like to thank each of you for taking your time to send cards! They were beautiful and heartfelt by all! Many thanks for being so thoughtful! Blessings to all of you.”
America Strong: Blue Angels, Thunderbirds Begin Multi-City Flyovers To Salute First Responders
April 27, 2020
In a show of national solidarity, the Navy’s Blue Angels, and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds will conduct a series of multi-city flyovers over the next two weeks.
America Strong is a collaborative salute from the Navy and Air Force to recognize healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Escambia County had a sneak peak last Tuesday as the Blue Angels and Thurderbirds flew over Escambia County.
“We are incredibly honored to have the opportunity to salute those working on the frontline of the COVID-19 response, we are in awe of your strength and resilience,” said Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, U.S. Navy Blue Angels commanding officer and flight leader. “Thank you to all of those in essential industries keeping our nation moving forward. We will get through this. We are all in this together.”
The two demonstration teams will fly over areas of the country hardest hit by COVID-19, starting this week as both joint and individual team flights occurring every one-to-two days until mid-May.
“We are truly excited to take to the skies with our Navy counterparts for a nation-wide tribute to the men and women keeping our communities safe,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbird 1 and mission commander for the flyover. “We hope to give Americans a touching display of American resolve that honors those serving on the frontline of our fight with COVID-19.”
The Blue Angels, based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, and Thunderbirds, based at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, typically fly at more than 30 air shows each year to demonstrate American military aviation. This year, both teams have been forced to cancel many performances in response to Department of Defense direction resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak.
While America Strong will showcase Department of Defense support to healthcare workers, first responders, military, essential employees, and aims to unite all Americans in the fight against COVID-19, it also fulfills critical training requirements for both teams. Pilots must execute a minimum number of flight hours to maintain proficiency. These flyovers will incur no additional cost to taxpayers.
In order to reach the maximum number of Americans, some portions of America Strong will feature only the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds, while others will include both teams flying in their signature Delta formations simultaneously.
Both the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds are scheduled to fly over New York City, Trenton, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
Pictured: The Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds flew together over Escambia County last Tuesday. NorNorthEscambia.com photos by Perry Doggrell and Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Navy Federal Offering Grocery, Prepared Food Pick Up For Employees
April 27, 2020
Navy Federal is now offering curbside food services – including groceries and prepared food — for employees.
Navy Federal launched a “Shop With Us” service that allows employees to order food and other grocery items to be picked up same day. Through the program, employees can use an app to place orders for single person, family, or a la cart meals as well as in-demand grocery items like bottled water, milk, toilet paper, and fresh produce. Employees can schedule a convenient time for them to pick up the items at their campus location.
Navy Federal has also transitioned 80% of their workforce to be able to work from home, offers paid leave for team members impacted by school and day care closures, bonus pay for front line employees and is providing team members with masks and gloves for those that report to branch locations.
Learning To Teach In A Distant Learning World. It’s The New Reality For Student Teachers.
April 26, 2020
University of West Florida student teachers have made the transition to online classrooms alongside their cooperating teachers, implementing new technologies and learning invaluable lessons in agility that will serve them well in their future teaching careers.
The printer whirred in the background as University of West Florida senior, Kate Powers, answered the phone.
“Hello! I’m so sorry for getting back to you so late—I got busy! And now I’m just trying to print off a few assignments, actually they’re time capsules, for students to record living through COVID-19.”
Talking to Powers, who is finishing up her last semester as a student teacher at an elementary school, it’s evident that the work hasn’t stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic—it’s simply changed. These sudden, unprecedented changes are met with gumption by educators and student teachers like Powers.
Argos are resilient. When the waters get rough, they don’t turn back; they raise their sails. The student teachers at UWF will continue on—joining Zoom calls, helping teachers with remote lesson plans and thinking of their students from afar.
Student teaching is the capstone experience for students in the elementary education and ESE/elementary education degrees. During the semester-long experience, teacher candidates gradually assume full teaching responsibilities in a classroom with the guidance and support of an experienced teacher. They, along with the rest of class of 2020, will graduate with an unexpected skill set that will shine throughout their professional lives.
Following the lead of many other school districts, the Santa Rosa County School District, which includes Powers’ assigned school, made the decision to close schools in March. This meant that students wouldn’t return to the classroom following spring break. Teachers were left distraught, wondering how they would adapt to this “new normal.”
“It’s just been so sad for everyone,” Powers said. “I told all of my students on the Thursday before spring break, ‘have a great week’ without knowing it was the last time I would see them.”
In November, the UWF student teaching program began the national accreditation process, and they determined one of their opportunities for improvement was incorporating more technology into the program.
“The changes that came with COVID-19 have accelerated the introduction of technology, which is a good thing for many of our student teachers because they can adopt these skills into their own classrooms someday,” said Kelly Aeppli-Campbell, assistant director of field placement at UWF who works with student teachers as a professor of senior seminar. “Different counties utilize different learning platforms and technologies. This situation allows our students to work with their cooperating teachers and learn the practical application of designing a lot of the coursework for online.”
Aeppli-Campbell says that this shift has jump-started how they will change the program long-term, requiring their student teachers to design Google classrooms as a part of their coursework, among other virtual assignments.
Alongside their cooperating teachers, they’re adapting all facets of their lives, including learning new and utilizing familiar technologies and communication methods, to best serve their classrooms.
For Powers, she’s using this opportunity to help create lesson plans that can be sent home or accessed entirely online.
“It’s been challenging because I work alongside my cooperating teacher in a fifth grade exceptional student education inclusion classroom,” she said. “Prior to COVID-19, I had the experience of learning how to cater to every child’s individual learning needs. Now we’re adapting those practices into work that can be sent home or accessed online.”
In addition to completing her final semester remotely, she’s also been working alongside her mom, who is a fourth grade teacher at Berryhill Elementary School in Milton.
“My mom, grandmother and aunt are all teachers,” she said. “When I was in the second grade, I used to envision how I would set up my own classroom someday. While my on-site student teaching experience has ended, I’m able to work alongside my mom and see the behind-the-scenes action of continuing to teach during this crisis.”
Like Powers, teaching runs in the family for UWF senior Ashtyn Kaunitz, who will also graduate in May. Kaunitz’s love for teaching was born in her grandmother’s first grade classroom, where she was an assistant. She says now that she’s close to completing her degree and student teaching assignment, education has become her passion.
Kaunitz is engaging with her students at Bagdad Elementary school in Milton using Zoom, an interface which allows online video conferencing. She says the response has been positive.
“I’m able to lead Zoom meetings with the students to help them catch up on new concepts and ask questions,” Kaunitz said. “The students are excited to talk to me and eager to turn in their work, despite missing the classroom experience. I think it is an exciting and new way to learn, and it may never need to happen again on this scale.”
Annie Buck is a UWF student who plans to graduate this Spring. She is interning at Montclair Elementary School in the Escambia County School District and like her fellow education students, she notes the challenges of shifting to online learning.
“As teachers, we can only do so much when we are not in the classroom with our students,” Buck said. “Making sure that they do not walk away from their computer during the day is a challenge because there is only so much we can do over the computer.”
Over a short period of time she has been working tirelessly; from keeping students on task to assisting her cooperating teacher with making tote bags to help students ease into distance learning. Despite the challenges, she says an unanticipated positive reaction has emerged from the crisis: a newfound gratitude from her students.
“I think that this situation has changed the way that some of the students view school,” Buck said. “I believe that a big part of the students’ work ethic, while we are out of school, is because of the relationships we have built with the students and also their parents. It has made the process of switching to distance learning easier. The students that I have in my class are making the teacher that I work with, and me, very proud.”
The physical classrooms may be empty, but the compassion from teachers to help their students is as present as ever.
“We want your children to succeed just as much as you do,” Buck said. “They have a special place in our heart, and just because things are tough right now does not mean we have given up, we just work harder.”