SHHS graduates thirty-nine

Senath-Hornersville High School celebrated the accomplishments of 39 graduating seniors Friday night during the school's 2008 Commencement Ceremony.

The class of 2008 included Cody A. Anderson, Stormy Bray, Melanie A. Brisher, Irving Casiano, Thomas J. Chandler, Aaron L. Coleman, Stephen Anthony Crawford, Jessica L. Curtright, Molly A. Davis, Skyler S. Droke, Stephanie D. Duncan, Stephanie A. Dunivan, Ernesto J. Garza, Ashley D. George, Katelyn D. Gibson, Kayley N. Grice, Albertina B. Henry, Raymond D. Henry, Dustin D. Hunter, Britney M. Hyde, Jessica L. Jenkins, Josephine Joiner, Kasey L. Mara, Chelsea N. Martin, Marcus M. Martin, Kristina L. Mungle, Brittany Munro, Sarah B. Patton, Johnny Puga, Brittany D. Riddle, John W. Ridings, Brandon Rios, Tishana Rushing, Anthony Scott, Nathan A. Spears, Alex N. Tidwell, Felipe Vilchis, Derick L. Waller, and Brittany S. Wyrick.

Of those graduates, two were honored as salutatorian and valedictorian for their outstanding academic achievements.

Irving Casiano presents the salutatorian address to his classmates from Senath-Hornersville. Staff photo by Deanna Coronado

Anthony Scott, son of Roland and Sue Scott, was class valedictorian with a 4.189 grade point average.

His activities during high school included Teens for Christ, National Honor Society, Spanish Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Future Teachers of America, Baseball, Future Business Leaders of America, Science Club, cast member in The Stories of Scheherazade, Yearbook Staff, Art Club, Future Farmers of America, and Student Government.

Scott has received a number of honors including Student of the Year for 2008, Student of the Month all four years of high school, and gold medals in American Government, English I, Physical Science, Geometry, Trigonometry, English III, Algebra II, Keyboarding, and Biology. He also has Honorable Mentions in Spanish I, Spanish II, English II, English IV, Anatomy, Physics, Calculus, and Chemistry.

Scott has also been invited to attend the Honors Banquet all four years of high school; is an active member of the First Baptist Church in Senath and plans to attend Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau this fall where he will begin a major in Computer Science.

The salutatorian for the class of 2008 is Irving Ludim Casiano Flores with a weighted gpa of 4.077. Casiano is the son of Ludim and Marisol Casiano of Senath and has been involved in numerous extracurricular activities while excelling in academics to obtain gold medals in Algebra I, Algebra II, Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, Geometry, Family Living/Foods, American History, World Geography, Spanish II, Art I, English III, English IV, Physics, and Calculus. He also reaped Honorable Mentions in American Government, English I, and PE over the past four years.

His activities while attending high school at Senath-Hornersville include FBLA, Spanish Club, Science Club, National Honor Society, Student Government, FTA, Yearbook Staff, and SADD.

Additionally, Casiano has fulfilled duties at SHHS in the role of Service Commissioner, Spanish Club president, and as the treasurer of FBLA.

Casiano's honors include being a three time recipient of the "Student of the Month" award for merit in scholarship and being chosen "Most Likely to go to Harvard" among his senior class.

The 2008 salutatorian is a four year honor roll student and was noted as an "A" honor roll student for two of those years. He has represented SHHS at National History Day, the State SADD convention and also ranked 5th in regional FBLA competition during 2008. Casiano has been recognized as a member of the National Society of High School Scholars and was also nominated to participate in this year's Scholar Athlete Games at the University of Rhode Island.

To raise the bar even higher above Casiano's numerous notable educational feats, he is currently enrolled to attend college at Harvard University in Boston, Mass., where he will begin studies with a focus on Pre-Law.

Scholarship recipients from the class of 2008 were as follows:

* Art Club: Irving Casiano ($300); alt. Anthony Scott

* Senator & Mrs. Nelson B. Tinnin: Brittany Riddle

* RK & Katherine Swindle Memorial: Molly Davis

* Rives Community: Chelsea Martin ($1000)

* Hornersville Alumni: Skyler Droke ($750); alt. Kasey Mara

* Four Way Gin: Thomas J. Chandler, Skyler Droke, Chelsea Martin ($500 each)

* Farmers and Merchants: Skyler Droke, Kasey Mara ($500); alt. Brittney Wyrick

* FCCLA: Sarah Patton ($200), Brittany Riddle ($100), Chelsea Martin ($100)

* Sam Johnson Memorial: Thomas J. Chandler, Molly Davis, Dustin Hunter, Anthony Scott ($100 each)

* National Honor Society: Irving Casiano, Thomas J. Chandler, Jessica Curtright, Skyler Droke, Stephanie Dunivan, Katelyn Gibson, Kayley Grice, Brittany Riddle, Brandon Rios, Anthony Scott ($200 each)

* Science Club: Kayley Grice ($350); alt. Anthony Scott

* Student Government: Irving Casiano, Ashley George, Katelyn Gibson($350 each)

* Spanish Club: Irving Casiano ($500)

* FBLA: Irving Casiano, Derick Waller ($300)

* Softball Association: Katelyn Gibson, Kayley Grice, Kasey Mara ($200 each)

* FTA: Ashley George ($200)

* Hornersville Order of Eastern Star: Kasey Mara ($500) alt. Brittany Wyrick

* Senath Lions Club: Molly Davis, Albertina Henry, Alex Tidwell ($500 each)

* Senath State Bank: Brittany Riddle ($3,000)

* Kennett National Bank: Anthony Scott ($4,000)

* George Paul Harris Memorial: Molly Davis, Brittany Riddle ($500)

* SH Educational Foundation: Kayley Grice, Alex Tidwell ($4,000 each)

* SH Board of Education: Anthony Scott ($700); alt. Katelyn Gibson

* SH Band Booster Club: Stephanie Dunivan, Albertina Henry ($500)

* Circle of Friends: Ernesto Garza, Ashley George, Brandon Rios, Alex Tidwell ($1,250 each)

* Hornersville American Legion: Skyler Droke, Kasey Mara ($500 each)

Senath American Legion Cody Anderson ($500); alt. Stephanie Dunivan

* Senath Women's Club: Jessica Curtright ($500)

* SADD Club: Stephanie Dunivan ($500)

* SH High School Band: Stephanie Dunivan, Albertina Henry ($500 each)

* Bobby and Lynn Fritz: Kristina Mungle ($4,000)

* Hornersville Masonic Lodge: Brittany Riddle ($250)

* Farm Bureau: Skyler Droke ($500); alt. Thomas J. Chandler

* Arkansas Northeastern: Irving Casiano, Molly Davis, Chelsea Martin ($3,200); Kayley Grice, Kristina Mungle($1,500)

* SEMO: Brittany Riddle ($683); Anthony Scott ($5,658); Alex Tidwell($183)

* National Young Leaders Conference: Irving Casiano ($10,000)

* National Society of HS Scholars: Irving Casiano ($140,000)

* Three Rivers: Chelsea Martin (tuition)

* DeVry: Derick Waller ($1,000 per semester)

* Williams Baptist: Jessica Curtright ($1,000); Kasey Mara ($2,800); Brittany Riddle ($4,000)

* Mineral Area College: Dustin Hunter (tuition, books, room and board)

During the ceremony, class president Stephanie Dunivan spoke, welcoming parents, family and other guests to the graduation, adding that she and her classmates could not have made it to the point in which they had, if they had not been given the support and guidance they received from their families, friends, and teachers.

"All these years, we have been watching and learning from each of you here tonight," Dunivan said. "It is with heart felt gratitude that we thank you for all your love, all your understanding, all your encouragement; but most of all, for all of your prayers."

Salutatorian Irving Casiano echoed Dunivan's sentiment during his speech, while also sharing a few words of encouragement for his fellow graduates.

"Do what makes you happy," Irving said. "Don't be miserable in any aspect of your life. Only you know what makes you happy, so don't rely on other people to make the major decisions in your life. Live in the place you what to live, marry the person whom you truly love, work at the job which you enjoy. Give yourself plenty of reasons to wake up in the morning."

Another touching suggestion Casiano had for his classmates was to "Try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value... and success will naturally follow."

Valedictorian Anthony Scott spoke last during the ceremony, providing the farewell address.

"Our lives from this point on will take on a whole new meaning," Scott told his fellow graduates. "The basics that we will need to survive have been taught to us. It is up to us to put them into practice and show others what we have learned."

Scott said that when he and his classmates walk away from the ceremony, leaving behind friends that stuck behind you through thick and thin, it is important to remember where you came from.

"No matter where we end up during our later years, remember that we came from strong backgrounds. Remember that we have friends who would drop everything to come help us. Remember your future lies in your own hands," Scott said. "Tonight, we stand ready to go out and embrace that future. I challenge you to use the foundation now present within you and to not just achieve your goals, exceed them."