Sterling High School students recognized for academic success

  • Guest speaker Marilyn Fehringer, chair of Sterling High School’s math department, speaks about how her SHS family helped her battle her ovarian cancer, which she named “Jezebel C”, and the lessons she learned from it, during the school’s annual Celebration of Academic Honors Monday, May 10, 2021. (Callie Jones/Sterling Journal-Advocate)

  • Hailey Fehringer is congratulated by Sterling High School Assistant Principal Mark Appelhans as she receives her academic letter and scholarships during the school’s Celebration of Academic Honors Monday, May 10, 2021. (Callie Jones/Sterling Journal-Advocate)

  • Sierra Adolf is congratulated by Sterling High School Assistant Principal Mark Appelhans on her scholarship awards at the school’s annual Celebration of Academic Honors Monday, May 10, 2021. (Callie Jones/Sterling Journal-Advocate)

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Sterling High School celebrated the academic accomplishments of its students Monday at its annual Celebration of Academic Honors.

This year’s celebration was a little different, with only seniors and their families in attendance.

SHS Assistant Principal Mark Appelhans started the ceremony congratulating the students on surviving this challenging year, “it’s been remarkable the things you’ve adjusted to and still strived for excellence and didn’t let anything get in your way,” he said.

The guest speaker for the evening was Marilyn Fehringer. Though not an SHS graduate, she is the chair of the school’s math department. She spoke about her fight against ovarian cancer or as she named it, “Jezebel C,” and how her family at SHS helped her in her battle.

“Really it’s not just my story, it’s our story. The family here at Sterling High has relationships and attitudes that we built through time and trials and this is the celebration of those relationships,” Fehringer said.

She recalled the simple words Michelle Long said to her when she first found out she had cancer and was in the midst of a panic attack, “be in the moment.” Long led her through an exercise to help her do that, asking her what she saw, heard, smelled, felt and tasted in that moment. It’s something she encouraged the students to do if they are feeling stressed because “purposely going through the senses helps ground your brain cells and bring you back to reality.”

Fehringer also remembered former SHS Principal Walley Beardsley’s words to her, as he fought his own cancer battle, “courage is not defined by those who fight and do not fall, but by those who fought, fell and rose again.”

She went on to share four lessons during her fight against cancer: Keep the faith, know that it’s okay to ask for help, be your own advocate and choose JOY!

“This past year has been hard on all of us. Many of us have had to say goodbye to people that we care deeply for, COVID restrictions have caused major issues from isolation and mental health problems, to athletic and scheduling nightmares – whoever heard of state volleyball in May? It seems that all of us are at that mental breaking point that one more straw turns into a full-blown crisis. I say, let’s just grow through what we are going through,” Fehringer said. “Let’s grab every opportunity, let’s try every challenge, let’s learn from every life lesson.”

She ended with a challenge to the class of 2021 as they venture out into the world and pursue the path they’ve chosen, “don’t just survive it, thrive.”

After Fehringer’s remarks, John Chapdelaine, director of the Eastern Colorado Community Fund, presented the Ruth Henderson Memorial Scholarship to Alisha Saylor. Then students earning academic letters and scholarships received their awards. Though seniors were the only ones able to be at the ceremony, all classes were recognized in the program.

Seniors receiving academic letters were (number of years they’ve received letters in parentheses): Casie Amen (2), Kiersten Bohler (4), Hailey Fehringer (4), Mallory Kaiser (4), Aaron Lenox (4), Tucker Myers (4), Emilia Reeves (3), Allie Schumacher (4) and Madison Trahern (4).

Juniors receiving academic letters were: Tony Abarca (3), Emma Berg (3), Lindsay Butler (3), Casteus Combs (2), Jackson Keil (2), Jack Krueger (3), Sarah Maker (1), Lauren Mitcheck (2), Marshal Mitchell (2), Andrew Pasko (3), Ethan Rose (1), Tayleb Schaefer (1), Hailey Simants (3) and Jace Wright (3).

Two juniors received special honors. Pasko was named the University of Colorado Boulder’s Outstanding Colorado Student and Keil received the Colorado School of Mines Medal of Achievement in Math and Science.

Sophomores receiving academic letters were: Sarah Ballard (1), Wyatt Buckley (1), Cooper Dewitt (2), Charli Frankenfield (2), Kylee Irwin (1), Jalyssa Maker (2), Molly Mitchell (2), Dillyn Morton (2), Syndi Sandoval (2) and Kaitlynn Storch (1).

Freshmen receiving academic letters were: Gerardo Abarca, Codie Amen, Addyson Bacon, Faith Cole, Haley Emmerson, Samuel Maggard, Izabella Martinez, Jessica Moca, Brayden Plank, Audrey Reeves, Ava Reeves, Addison Steele, Kailynne Swingle and Brennan Welsh.

Class of 2021 scholarship recipients were:

  • Sierra Adolf: Orpheus Club Milligan Award, Windsong Chorus Scholarship
  • Logan Bohler: Montana State University Achievement Award
  • Kiersten Bohler: Tri-State G&T/Highline Electric Association, Centennial Conservation District Scholarship, Sterling Federal Credit Union Scholarship
  • Brock Burkholder: Lloyd E. Chapman Memorial Scholarship
  • Alejandro Del Rio Rodriguez: NJC Hope Scholarship, Xcel Wind Technician Scholarship, Lloyd E. Chapman Memorial Scholarship
  • Clinton Eckenrod: NJC HOPE Scholarship, Northeastern Foundation Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI)
  • Hailey Fehringer: Green and Gold Scholarship-CSU, Anna C. Petteys Scholarship, Louise L. Cronbaugh Academic Scholarship, First Farm Bank Scholarship
  • Austin Garcia: NJC HOPE Scholarship
  • Emily Gemaehlich: Northeastern Foundation Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI), Lloyd E. Chapman Memorial Scholarship
  • Trevor Glassburn: NJC HOPE Scholarship, Lloyd E. Chapman Memorial Scholarship
  • Tyler Glassburn: NJC HOPE Scholarship, Lloyd E. Chapman Memorial Scholarship
  • Alyssa Hill: Highline Electric Scholarship, Jack Pettey’s Memorial Scholarship-NJC, NJC HOPE Scholarship
  • Mallory Kaiser: Anna C. Petteys Scholarship, Centennial Conservation District Scholarship, Colorado State Scholarship Fund, Highline Electric Scholarship, Montana State University Achievement Award, Montana State University Western Undergraduate Exchange Award, Louise L. Cronbaugh Academic Scholarship, Curtis Long Memorial Scholarship, Rotarian Marcia Luce Memorial Scholarship, First Farm Bank Scholarship, Sterling Federal Credit Union Scholarship
  • Trey Kuntz: NJC HOPE Scholarship, Courtenay & Lucy P. Davis Scholarship, Sterling Federal Credit Union Scholarship
  • Dante Lambrecht: NJC HOPE Scholarship, Courtenay & Lucy P. Davis Scholarship, Lloyd E. Chapman Memorial Scholarship
  • Aaron Lenox: Sterling Federal Credit Union Scholarship
  • Arlin Molina Cano: NJC HOPE Scholarship
  • Tucker Myers: Green and Gold Scholarship-CSU, Sterling Federal Credit Union Scholarship, Elks National Foundation Legacy Award, Jack Petteys Memorial Scholarship
  • Jaden Newson: Louise L. Cronbaugh Community Service Award
  • Emilia Reeves: NJC HOPE Scholarship, Sterling Lions Club, Louise L. Cronbaugh Community Service Award, Northeastern Foundation Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI), Deinlein, Cornelius, DuPont Memorial Scholarship, First Presbyterian Church Scholarship, Colorado Elks Association Scholarship, Sterling Federal Credit Union Scholarship
  • Peyton Rose: NJC HOPE Scholarship, Mary Johnson Linvill Scholarship
  • Alisha Saylor: NJC HOPE Scholarship, SPEA Scholarship, Sterling Rotary Club Scholarship, Roy L and Myrtle E. Melendy Memorial Scholarship, Frances Melvin Elementary Education Foundation, Louise L. Cronbaugh Community Service Award, Jill Hershberger Memorial Scholarship, Ruth Henderson Memorial Scholarship Fund
  • Allie Schumacher: NJC HOPE Scholarship, Louise L. Cronbaugh Community Service Award, Sterling Rotary Club Scholarship, Elks National Foundation Legacy Award, Lloyd E. Chapman Memorial Scholarship, Deinlein, Cornelius, DuPont Memorial Scholarship, Sterling Federal Credit Union Scholarship
  • Lyndi Stumpff: NJC HOPE Scholarship, Windsong Chorus Scholarship
  • Madison Trahern: Orpheus Club Milligan Award, NJC HOPE Scholarship, Windsong Chorus Scholarship, Louise L. Cronbaugh Community Service Award, Sterling Miracle Players Scholarship, Jill Hershberger Memorial Scholarship, Sterling Federal Credit Union Scholarship, Northeastern Foundation Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI)
  • Tristan Trahern: Northeastern Foundation Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI)
  • Kobe Wilson: Colorado Mesa University President Scholarship

SHS Principal Cindy Lystad gave closing remarks, thanking educators for all their hard work this year, as well as students and parents for their cooperation and support.


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